Maybe Dead
by Summatime26
Summary: My first attempt at writing. This takes place right after Dead and Gone. Just my version of what could happen next. Rated T for now, could change to M later. Hope you enjoy! I do not own any of the characters, they belong to Charlaine Harris.
1. Chapter 1

**_I do not own any of these characters, they belong to Charlaine Harris. _**

**Let me know what you guys think of my first attempt. I have a few ideas of how I want to see the story go, so I thought I'd try my hand at writing. Any reviews would be great! Hope you enjoy! ~~~**

The moment that Niall left, Jason burst out laughing! I was on the verge of tears and he was laughing! I stared at him in shock.

"What's so funny?" I asked him in my croaky voice. He turned to me smiling.

"Well no more fairies, no more trouble. Who needs a great-grandfather anyway? I'm glad he's gone." I glared at him. I didn't have the strength to do what I wanted-which just happened to be grabbing his throat and choking him to death- so I just stared. That seemed to have sunk into Jason's thick skull and he responded.

"I'm sorry Sook, I know that you must be sad but you have to see the good things about him going. You aren't in danger from fairies anymore." I didn't have a response for that. It was true. But that didn't mean that loosing another family member was easy. I would miss Niall. I would also miss Claude if he decided to leave. It made me wonder what the world would be like without fairies in it. No more fairytales to tell I guess, not like they rang true anyway. For some reason though, I knew right then that I was done with Jason. He had been through a lot, and he must be hurting that Niall did not want to see him, but I couldn't feel sorry for him any longer. I was hurting too and Niall leaving made the hurt worse. Seeing Jason laugh was just the last straw. I looked at him again.

"Jason, it's over. Get out." His eyes got wide and he looked as shocked as I must have a few seconds ago.

"But Sookie I'm your brother! Your only family! I know you didn't mean what you said to that fairy about not knowing family love. I love you and you know it!" I shook my head and closed my eyes.

"No Jason, you don't. I don't think you ever have. You have loved yourself and your pride, but never me. You are never there when I need you without making it hard on me, or wanting something in return. I know you are hurting and I'm sure Niall's avoidance didn't feel great, but what about me? Could it hurt for me to have something good without you? I never got jealous and petty when something good happened to you, or when you were happy. Couldn't you have just let me grieve over the loss of someone who loved me? No you couldn't, you never could because you had to have it all. And on top of that, you sympathized with the man who wanted to kill me because he liked you better. It all adds up, and I'm through. Go away now and stay away this time. There is nothing left in me for you. I'm done." And with that I turned my back on my brother's shocked face and said my silent goodbyes to the family I had lost.

A day later Claude came over. After I let him in I went back to the couch I was laying on and slowly got myself back into position. It wasn't a comfortable position, but nothing was lately. Claude waited patiently for me to settle and then came to kiss me on the forehead. I looked at him with tears in my eyes.

"I'm so sorry about Claudine. She was wonderful and I can't imagine how hard it is for you." I said a little shakily. He just bowed his head and closed his eyes for a moment and then looked at me with his own tear filled eyes.

"Thanks Sookie. I've never been on my own before, it will be hard. I've decided to go back to the fae world though. I couldn't be here without my sisters. They were happier here than I was anyway." I couldn't think of a thing to say. I knew this was coming. Just another blow to a really bad week. I took a deep breath and said the only thing I could.

"I'll miss you." He smiled sadly at me and started to head to the door. When he got there he turned to face me again.

"Dermont was never found and the portal is closing at sundown. He won't bother you though, he has no ties to the fae world anymore and no one in the human world to help him. He is dumb but not stupid, you'll be safe from him." I nodded and pasted a small, fake smile on my lips. Before I could thank him for the information or even let it sink in Claude spoke again.

"One last thing. You are about to be a very rich girl! Niall and myself have decided to leave all our earthly goods to you. I left you Claudine's as well. I know she would have wanted it that way. The lawyer will be with you in a week. You can now stop worrying over money so much and enjoy this world that we are leaving you." I don't know what look was on my face but Claude laughed at it.

"See now that was worth it right there. The looks you humans have sometimes! I'm glad I got to see a funny one before I left. Take care Sookie." And just like that he popped out of my house one last time. I was going to miss that sound, and him even though he wasn't my favourite fairie. My favourite fairies were gone, just like all of them now. Then it sank in.

"They left me everything?" I said to the air. I couldn't believe it. What was I going to do with all that money. Claude and Claudine's house and club would be included and no telling what kind of businesses Niall had around. What was I going to do with it all? I should have felt relief, but for some reason I was in the doom and gloom stage of mourning and couldn't quite see the up side to being rich. I'd need advice, but I decided I would wait for that until the lawyer came. I had other things to think about.

My vampires were right at the top of my "other things to think about" list. Bill still wasn't doing so well. One day he seemed like he was recovering, and the next day he looked like he was approaching his final death. Pam called me everyday to let me know how he was healing and making sure I was healing as well. I wasn't sure how I felt for Bill right now. Of course I wanted him to get better, but the rest of my emotions about him were unclear. I knew that I'd forgiven him, and that part of me still loves him. After all he did almost die protecting me, but I wasn't sure if I could ever love him enough to be with him again. That was jumping ahead of my emotional capacity though. So I threw that thought back in my head with the others that I couldn't process.

Thinking of things I couldn't process though of course brought up Eric. What was I going to do with Eric? He had tried telling me how he felt about me, but at the time I was too pig headed and worn out that I couldn't listen. Now I was wondering if I was ever going to see Eric be that open again. And he had said that there was a reason why he wasn't there to rescue me, he said I would understand once he told me. That had my heart racing and the "dun dun dun" music going through my head. I knew it must not be a simple answer if he couldn't say it quickly when I asked. We were going to have another talk soon. And I wasn't sure if I could handle it. And then Pam. She was calling me know everyday and making me feel her friendship again, but where was she when Breandan came? Clancy was there and died though he hated me, so why was Pam away until the end. I had thought that we were as close to friends as a vampire and human can be-loving excluded of course.  
There were just too many mysteries and feelings. I decided that I would just close my eyes and save them for tomorrow. I needed another rest day.


	2. Chapter 2

**_I do not own these characters, they belong to Charlaine Harris._**

**Ok, I wrote this one kind of fast because my head was racing. I really appreciate all the reviews and alerts!~~~~~**

Towards sundown I slowly headed out to the front porch. Since I didn't get my proper goodbye to Niall without distractions-meaning Jason- I figured I would do my own version to get closure. I wasn't sure if he would see it or not, but I knew it would make me feel better. So once on the porch I settled onto a chair and waited for the sun to set. The sky turned from orange to a pretty pink color that made me tear up once again. I couldn't imagine a better evening for the fae to depart from our world. It was beautiful. Right before the sun went behind the horizon, I looked up to the sky and waved. I said my silent goodbye to my fairie great-grandfather and cousin, and the rest of the fae world. I swear I heard a "Goodbye Sookie" whispered in the wind. Then I saw a bright flash in the dying light of the sky. I knew then that the portal was closed. I let out a long sigh and sat back in my chair.

The growing night was a bit chilly, but I just didn't have the motivation to move from my spot. I was still stiff and sore. I was getting better every minute due to Eric's blood, but I just couldn't seem to move into the house. Thinking of Eric's blood made me sigh. I don't know what exactly was in my head that made me take his blood without a fight. I think I finally just gave in to the inevitable. He would have gotten the blood into me somehow anyway, and lately I just haven't been able to fight him. To be honest, I didn't mind as much as I use to either. Eric had a huge part of my heart now. I wasn't ready to give my complete heart to him, especially with the new revelation about Bill, but the biggest part of my heart was his. I was nervous about our talk though. He had a lot of explaining to do and I was scared of what the outcome would be. I had such a hard time with these talks. Last time I couldn't even let him tell me how he felt. I was so stuck in my own world and happiness of the moment that I didn't want to ruin it. I was scared he would tell me that I didn't mean as much to him as I wanted to mean to him. I would not be the one to say my feelings first, and that night, I couldn't let him tell me that it could never be right between us. I still had wishes and fantasies. I should probably just give up though. Or get out of my fantasy world and live in the real world. But Bill had proved to me that vampires can love a human. Bill loved me. I knew that with no doubt after the fairie fight. I still wasn't sure what that brought me except for hope for Eric. This talk though, I wouldn't hold him back. I would hear it all and then go on from there. If he couldn't love me, or put me first, then I would try to cut him loose. But how do you cut out part of your heart? I guess I would know if it came to that pretty soon.

While I was thinking, I heard a car coming down the driveway. Just in case it was trouble, I got out of my chair and wobbled into the house and locked the door. I looked out the window and saw Amelia's car coming down the driveway. Amelia had been shopping in Monroe today. Really though, she was trying to stay away from me. I couldn't shield very well since I was in so much pain, and Amelia was a loud broadcaster. So no matter what excuse she told me, I knew the real reason. She wasn't the same since Tray died. She didn't blame me for his death, but her attitude towards me was changed drastically. She walked into the door and came into the kitchen where I had gone to get some tea. She sat in one of the chairs and took a deep breath. I knew what was coming, but I held my tongue so she could put voice to her thoughts.

"Sookie, can we talk?" I sat in the chair across from her.

"Of course Amelia, what's up?" She teared up just a bit and continued.

"Well Sook, I think I need to get away. With everything that's happened I just need some time. Without Tray I can't figure out why I shouldn't go home for a bit. You know, see how the construction is going and see how Octavia is settling in. I hope you will be ok without me. You know if you need anything you can call and I'll do what I can to help." I smiled at her. What she wasn't saying out loud was, _Sookie, you get into too much trouble. I'm not safe if I stay here any longer. You'll get me killed too! Being near my dad is better than being dead! I'll miss you and help you if you need it, as long as I can help from far away._ My heart ached but she knew I usually shielded so I tried to seem like I didn't know her true thoughts.

"It's ok Amelia, you have a good time and if you need anything from me I'll be there too. I'm sure you'll have a good time and know that your room will be here when you get back."

"Thanks Sookie, I'll miss you." I smiled a genuine smile at her.

"I'll miss you too. So when are you heading out?" Amelia looked a bit embarrassed about that. I knew that she was already packed but I wanted her to tell me.

"I thought about leaving tonight. That way I could get started early tomorrow on my property."

"Well if you could just call me to let me know that you got there ok, I'd feel a lot better." She smiled and looked relieved that I didn't want to keep her here any longer.

"Will do Sook. I better get going." We gave each other a big hug goodbye. I knew that she would be back some day, she just really needed to get away for awhile. I couldn't blame her. If I were in her shoes I would have gotten away from me a long time ago. Pretending I didn't bring trouble around was pointless nowadays.

She left right after that. For the first time in ages I had the house to myself completely. No roommates, no family, no visitors. I didn't know what to do with myself so I decided to start the fire, turn on the TV on the AMC channel- a Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire movie was on- and just tried to relax and absorb my changing life.

I was feeling pretty lonely though. In one day I had lost all my family-except for Hunter which I couldn't even think about yet much less count as family- and my best friend. My mind was reeling and I was about ready to give up. I decided to call Sam at Merlottes just to hear someone who meant something to my life.

"Merlottes, Sam speaking." I smiled at his voice.

"Hey Sam, are you really busy?" Instead of the reaction I usually got and expected from Sam-he was usually all too happy that I called him- I got a bristly and angry Sam.

"Sookie I'm busy. Unless you called to tell me you can help, I don't want to talk. Why don't you call your vampire husband? Isn't that what husbands are for?" I was in complete shock! Sam had always been my friend and was there for me. I never heard him so hostile! I couldn't even speak. So I just hung up the phone. On some strange inclination I decided I would drive to Merlottes, just to see how busy Sam really was.

A few minutes later I was in the parking lot of Merlottes. It wasn't busy at all! Actually, it was rather dead for that time of night. I know that not that many people could clear out of the bar that quickly. That meant that Sam was either lying or he was just threw with dealing with me. Well, after Amelia it didn't surprise me, but still. Sam was always someone I thought I could count on. What was happening to me? Was I so hopeless that no one wanted to be near me anymore? After everything I'd been through with Sam I didn't understand why he would ditch me now. I gathered up my courage and strength, and headed inside.

Once I was inside, Sam took one look at me and left to go to his office. I felt my jaw drop open. Tanya, who had started filling in for Arlene and now me, came to greet me at the door. We use to have a lot of problems, but after Amelia and Octavia's intervention and the drama of Crystal's death we were on better terms.

"Hey Sookie! Are you feeling better?" I smiled at her. For the first time I think it was genuine.

"Hey Tanya. Have you guys had a busy night? I just thought I'd drop by to see how things were going and talk to Sam." She smiled back and answered.

"No not busy at all. Been sort of dead lately. I think maybe it has something to do with everyone wanting to settle down after the Great Reveal and all the drama with Crystal and Tray. I'm sure it will pick up soon. Sam must have went to his office. Head on back." I nodded in agreement with her statement.

"Thanks Tanya. I hope everything is going good in your part of the world. I'll go see Sam now." She smiled at me and nodded. I had a few "Feel better Sookie." and "You're looking better!" comments on the way to his office from the patrons. I just smiled at the good-will wishers and continued on my way.

Once I got to Sam's office, I knocked on the door. Sam very angrily answered.

"Come in Sookie." I almost didn't open the door. I had never seen Sam like this. It scared me. I gingerly turned the knob and walked in.

"How are you Sam? How is your family?" He glared at me.

"They are fine. Now, what do you want?" I couldn't help but feel hurt. I had to find out what was going on with Sam to make him act this way. So I asked, which I normally wouldn't do.

"Okay Sam, what is going on? Why are you acting so strange today?" His response surprised me.

"Sookie, I've spent years trying to please you to make you see what a good man I could be to you. I'm giving up now! You welcome trouble! You pledged yourself to Eric! You can say you did it without knowledge but you smell more like him than yourself nowadays! So you can't blame that on him. I can't and won't compete with that. I'll be here if you are in dire need, but other than that I think you and I should stay clear of each other, except for work, for awhile." I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Sam was always my friend and we were devoted to that friendship I thought. For him to push my friendship aside, it was too much to bear. I stood motionless and stunned for a few minutes. I know I had my mouth hanging open as well. Finally I gathered myself enough to speak. I reminded myself of the money that was coming to me.

"Fine Sam. I understand. I have an inheritance coming so unless you need me I'll stop working here. I don't need the money bad enough to put you through the pain of seeing me any longer. Just call me if you need a fill in or if you can't find someone." And then I turned my back and walked out.

I think I was in too much shock to cry. Not one single tear filled my eyes. I had said goodbye to so many people in one day! My body and soul told me that I couldn't handle anymore. I decided that as soon as I got home I would go to bed. What was happening in my world? Were the fairies leaving the cause of this, or was it just that people had reached their last straw? I knew I was a trouble magnet, but still. I would never have left them like they left me. Or would I've? Was this my lesson for leaving Bill and Eric waiting all those times?

Whatever the cause, I was done. My emotions were left so raw that any thought made me wince. My sore and scarred muscles had no pain compared to my emotions. I was on overload!I just felt numb. Hopefully tomorrow I could start anew and gain prospective on my newly formed life.


	3. Chapter 3

**_I do not own any of these characters, they belong to Charlaine Harris._**

**Thanks again for all of the wonderful comments and alerts! You guys are great and very encouraging! **

**This is for all of you Eric lovers(I am too)! I'm not great at descriptive writing so I hope it makes sense and you guys can bare with me on it. Hope you enjoy! ~~~~~~**

I ended up sleeping the whole next day. I woke up just before sundown. My body felt a lot better. I looked down at my legs and saw that most of the bite marks were gone now. I guess the amount of blood that Eric gave me was going to leave me less scarred than I expected. I was going to have a few, but nothing drastic. They would look more like pock marks than bite marks. That was at least one positive thing. I was still emotionally numb though. No amount of vampire blood could heal what had happened to my psyche. Maybe dead was better. Maybe I wasn't suppose to survive the fairie war. Tears started filling my eyes and I just decided to roll over and try to sleep more. I had no reason to get up anyway.

I woke again about an hour later. I was feeling a bit more calm and very warm. I rolled over and saw Eric laying beside me and watching me. As soon as I saw him, all the tears I had been holding in burst out. Eric gathered me into his arms and cradled me to his chest. I cried for all I had lost. I cried for all that had happened. And when I was done crying about that, I just cried to get it out. Eric held me without saying a word and just rubbed my back. When I finally got my crying out of the way-I must have been crying for at least an hour- I looked up into Eric's face. He had one red tear running down his cheek. I wiped it away and he smiled a weak smile at me.

"Eric, I know we need to talk but I can't take any more. Can we just lay here for awhile?" My eyes pleaded with him to agree. He sent a comforting calm through our bond.

"Of course my lover. I'm here for you." He then tightened his hold on me and I laid my head on his chest. _Well at least someone is here for me_, I thought to myself. And then I just let my mind go blank.

Hours later Eric got up. Before I could ask him what he was doing, he picked me up like I was as light as a feather. He carried me to the back door, shifted me to be supported by only one of his arms, and opened the door with the other. After he shut the door again and carried me off of the porch, I looked up at his face.

"Where are we going?" He just smiled at me and jumped into the air. We were flying over the trees before he answered me.

"I'm taking you to my home. I will take care of you there for tonight. I don't want to sleep in that box you have at your house, but I want to stay with you all night. Do you mind lover?" I was touched. I could tell from our bond that he was completely sincere. He wanted to take care of me. He was worried about me and he didn't want to leave my side. I smiled at him and teared up again.

"I don't mind." was the only response I could put words too, but I let it be known through our bond how happy I was with that idea.

Flying was exhilarating! I had only flown with Eric a few times and loved it, but this was different. The night air seemed to cleanse my soul. I felt more alive and able to cope than I had in days! Eric's arms kept me warm and I felt safe there. I knew it wasn't the blood bond either, this was all me. I let out a soft sigh and snuggled in closer to my Viking while I watched the world fly behind us. The stars were out and shining brighter than I had ever seen them.

"How high can you go Eric?" He chuckled at my question and shot upwards. We went through a cloud on the way up. It was damp and chilly but I didn't mind it at all in that moment. Eric hovered in the air above the cloud. He looked down to my face and his eyes were shining almost as bright as the stars. I gasped at the beauty of him. He chuckled again, bent his head to my ear, and whispered.

"Is this high enough lover?" I smiled at him and looked around. It looked like I could reach out and grab any star I wanted.

"This is perfect!" I whispered back. He kissed me sweetly then and spun us around. We started our decent while we were still attached at the lips. My troubles seemed to be melting away. I knew they would catch up with me later, but for this moment I just didn't care.

We finally broke the kiss and Eric continued on his way towards Shreveport. You could already see the lights of the town now. We were almost there. He flew to a gated community. The houses were all very nice. The majority of them seemed to be made out of stone and brick. They weren't huge, but none of them were small either. They seemed elegant and comfortable at the same time. We landed right in front of a grey stone, two story house. It had three stairs leading up to a spacious porch. There was a porch swing to the left and a small iron table with two chairs on the right. The light on the porch was left on and it sent out a soft yellow glow. He grabbed my hand and led me up the stairs and to the front door. He fished out his keys from his pocket, opened the door, and dragged me inside behind him. He let go of my hand and left me in the entrance way and went into the living room with vampire speed. I heard beeping, so he must have been working on his alarm system.

I looked around me. The house was beautiful! The floors were a dark hard wood with a few exotic looking rugs laid around. The furniture was a dark mahogany and looked very elegant and old. The walls were a soft blue with a greyish tint to them and the trim was a dark wood too. I glanced into the living room and saw that he had a ivory sectional placed in front of a huge plasma TV. I didn't have a chance to look at anything else because just then Eric came back to me and swept me into his arms. He carried me up his stairs and down a long hall. Once we got to the end of the hall, he opened a door and took us into what looked like another entry way. It had only a small rug on the floor and a light switch. It was big enough to hold us easily with a little bit of extra room. On the other side of the entry way there was another door with a keypad on it. Eric turned around to the door we had come into, shut it, and locked it from the inside. He then punched a code onto the other doors keypad and it made a clicking sound. He then opened the door and we went inside. It was a bedroom. It was huge! There was a four poster bed that matched the mahogany furniture downstairs and had intricate carvings on the posts. The curtain on the bed was an ivory color and the bedspread was black. There was a dresser on one side of the bed and a vanity on the other side. There were no windows in the room and it wouldn't surprise me to find out that the room was reinforced better than a storm shelter.

Eric laid me gently down onto his bed and went to a door that was beside his dresser. He opened it and went inside the other room. I then heard water running. I guess the other room is the bathroom. A few minutes later, the water was turned off and Eric came back to the bed. He sat down beside me and bent to give me a kiss. I sighed into his mouth and his lips curled up into a smile. I was still in my nightgown-I can't believe I didn't notice that till now- and Eric put his hand behind my back and lifted me into a sitting position. He then lifted my nightgown over my head. After that was off he pushed my shoulder to make me lay down. He kissed my shoulder then as his hands glided over my body to rest on the top of my underwear. He then slid then off of my legs. He let out a soft growl and at any other time I would have jumped him right there, but tonight I was just too tired. I knew from our bond that he didn't expect anything, it was like he understood me completely. He picked me up again and kissed me on the forehead as he walked me to the bathroom. In the corner of the room was a tiled Jacuzzi tub. He walked me over and stepped into the tub. We both sank into the water and my muscles relaxed like they hadn't in what seemed like forever! We washed each other slowly and exchanged sweet kisses here and there. We didn't speak a word the whole time.

After we got out of the tub and dried each other off, Eric carried me back to the bedroom and got me one of his shirts to wear for the night. It engulfed me, but I loved it because it had Eric's scent. We laid down in his bed together and I laid my head on the crook of his shoulder. He then kissed my head.

"Dawn is coming. If you wake up during the day, my keys are on the vanity. Just close this door once you are in the entry way and it will lock. Please lock the other door after you get out and make yourself at home. I had some food put into the kitchen downstairs for you. I'll think of you while I sleep my lover." I smiled at him and nodded to show him that I understood. Then I fell asleep in my Vikings arms.


	4. Chapter 4

**_These characters do not belong to me, they belong to Charlaine Harris._**

**Thanks again for all of the reviews and alerts! You guys are wonderful! Hope you enjoy this chapter. I tried to answer most of the questions for Eric I was left with after DaG. I have a few more questions for Eric, but I think they belong in a different chapter. Let me know what you guys think, and if I left a question unanswered, let me know and I'll try to address it! Thanks again!~~~**

I slept without dreaming and I woke up feeling refreshed. I rolled over and saw Eric laying there, dead for the day. I wondered what that would be like. Since we were going to have our talk tonight-I knew it was time-I figured I'd ask him. I reached over and kissed him on the cheek and then got out of bed. I stretched and my muscles responded happily. I hadn't moved much in the last few days so it felt good to be up. I went and grabbed the keys off of the vanity and left the bedroom. Once in the entry way I closed the bedroom door. I heard it lock into place and then I opened the other door. Once in the hallway with the door locked behind me, I noticed that there were two other rooms, one on each side of the hall, on this floor. I peeked inside the two rooms. They looked like regular guest bedrooms. One window in each room and simply decorated. I then went downstairs to try and find the kitchen. Downstairs held the living room, an office, a dining room-of all things for a vampire!-, another bathroom, and the kitchen. The kitchen was small and had an old time diner look. I went to the fridge and found stuff to make a sandwich. As soon as I saw the ingredients my stomach growled. I hadn't eaten in awhile! With everything that had happened I must have not been listening to my body. So I made and ate three sandwiches rather quickly and followed it with a tall glass of milk. After my stomach was taken care of, I went into the living room and turned on the TV. I laid down on the sectional and relaxed. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was 4pm. Another two hours before Eric would be getting up. Thinking of that, of course, made me a bit antsy. We had a lot to talk about and I didn't even know where we would begin. So much had happened so quickly.

I turned the news on to catch up with the world. The lady on TV said that things were quieting down after the Great Reveal. Things were turning back to normal. The only problems were of course the Fellowship of the Sun. They were still ranting about abominations and taking back our world. I wish the FOTS would just go to hell already. I was tired of hearing about them, and worrying about them. Arlene was out of jail on bail until her court date but was on house arrest. Her boyfriend Whit had gotten off on the self defence lie. He of course he dumped Arlene saying that she was sympathizing for me and so was no good to him anymore. I didn't feel sorry for her. I wished that someone would take her kids away to a happy family and then put Arlene in prison to rot. I was tired of hoping she would be okay. I just wish that her kids didn't have to deal with it. The rest of the news was normal. Nothing exciting happening. No wars, no serial killers, and no outbreaks. Things were okay in the world and it made me hope that someday I would be okay too.

The time passed quickly after that. I heard Eric rustling upstairs. The next thing I knew he was standing in front of me-he must have rushed down with his vampire speed- and was smiling at me.

"Feeling better lover?" He asked me. I closed my eyes, smiled, and answered.

"Yes Eric, I feel a lot better. Thanks for last night. I really needed that." He bent down and kissed me on the lips. He then turned the TV off, sat on the couch, and grabbed me to pull me onto his lap. Once there all I could do was cuddle into his chest. He rubbed my back with one hand while his other rested on my knees.

"Well dear one, we should talk and then go and see Pam and Bill. I'm sure they would like to see that you are doing better too." I groaned inwardly and thought, _Okay, here we go!_

"That sounds fine Eric. I'd like to see them too. How is Bill doing anyway?"

"He is doing well. Last night, before I came to you, I checked on him. I don't think that he will be very strong for a long time, but he will not meet his final death due to the silver poisoning." My shoulders relaxed a bit. I had been pretty worried about Bill, I was glad to hear he was going to make it.

"So why did the silver bother him so much this time? I mean you guys have had silver on you many times, what was so different?" Eric's face turned grim.

"The fairies put magic in the silver. It slowly released into the blood after the bites and the stab had happened. It was made specifically to hurt vampires. They knew that you would be hurt, but they also knew a vampire would probably come to your rescue. They thought it would kill us. If Bill were a younger vampire, it most definitely would have. Another bite or stab wound would have done the job as well. He is lucky that it didn't kill him, but he will get better. How do you feel about him Sookie?" That question took me by surprise.

"Well, I love him. I don't think that changes anything, but I have forgiven him and I do love him. And I know he loves me as well, so it is hard not to run to him and take him back. I just don't think I could do it though. I don't feel for him the way I use to. Love isn't always enough, you know?" Eric's eyes narrowed a bit while I was speaking. He waited a minute before he spoke. Finally he spoke.

"I understand. I'm a bit grieved by it though. I hate that you love him, but I understand. Sookie…" he stopped there. I looked up into his face and he let out a sigh. He kissed me again before continuing.

"Sookie, I need you to know why I wasn't there to rescue you." I frowned. I did want to know why he wasn't there. I wanted him there so badly. It hurt my heart that he wasn't in the rescue party. I figured this was the part where he told me that his life meant more and so he sent Bill to do the dangerous work. But then again, that didn't make sense either. He was there during the big battle when Breandan came to the hospital and he wasn't sure if he was going to make it out of there alive. So what held him back? I thought all this silently while I waited for him to speak again.

"Sookie the night you were taken, I was called to New Orleans by Victor Madden. He wanted to try and persuade me to cutting my tie with you. You would be surprised at the price that was set for you. I would be a foolish vampire not to accept that kind of money." He winked at me then when my mouth dropped open.

"We weren't getting very far in our talks and Victor was becoming angry. I was called a lot more than foolish that night. We were interrupted though before the discussion could get too heated. Victor's building was surrounded by some of Breandan's followers. I think the fairies were trying to distract us while they took you. They knew that you and I were bonded and that I would fight to get you back. They didn't consider that Bill was following you home that night. We were still inside considering our course of action when Bill called about getting Niall to help him rescue you. I was furious that he didn't go on his own, but he said he would be killed in the process." Eric took a deep breath-not like he needed to breath- and then continued.

"I called Niall and then told Victor that we couldn't wait any longer. We charged out of the building and killed all of those fairies. Victor was hurt in the process and the Area representative, Sandy, was killed. After we killed them all, I got Victor inside with some blood and then took off flying towards you. I felt your pain and need of me. Your pain made it almost impossible to fly. It took longer than I was hoping for. I knew the moment you were rescued and then I couldn't feel you any more. I thought you were dead." He closed his eyes and I noticed that they were rimmed with red.

"Since you were not being tortured anymore, I stopped to get Clancy and Pam from Fangtasia. Once we got to the hospital, and you said all those things about me not being there, it nearly killed me! I was so happy that you were not dead, but your lack of faith in me hurt deeply. I should have been there though Sookie and I'm sorry for that. I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life. The fairies succeeded in distracting us while they took you and for that, I'll forever feel like a fool." I stopped him there.

"Eric, now that I know, you were right, I do understand. I'm sorry I didn't have faith in you. But there is a part of your story that doesn't make sense to me. You said you got Clancy and Pam from Fangtasia. But Pam wasn't there at the hospital. Where was she?" Eric hung his head and took another big breath.

"Bubba was running from your house when we stopped there to see if you were taken home. He was given poison like Tray had been given, except by cat instead of vampire blood disguised as wine. It was not meant to kill him, but to make him go mad. What they didn't realize was that Bubba isn't quite right anyway. So it nearly took him all the way over the edge of sanity. We smelled the poison in his blood as he was running, and I sent Pam after him. I don't know what she did to calm him down, but she has been giving him blood for days to get the poison out. He is almost healed now. He says he doesn't like cats anymore though. He said maybe he'll switch to dogs." Eric chuckled while my mouth was hanging open again.

"Poor Bubba! I can't believe I forgot about him. Are you sure he'll be okay?" Eric nodded.

"Yes lover, he'll be fine. Well, as fine as he always was. He asked about you too. He said he was sorry that he wasn't around to protect you."

"Can I see him when we visit Pam and Bill?" Eric shook his head.

"Not now lover. He still has a little of the poison in him. I won't risk you being around him until he is completely back to normal. Give him a little more time and then yes you can see him." I hugged Eric tighter to me. We still had more to talk about but I needed a minute to absorb what he said. After a few moments of silence I decided that if I was ever going to get this out, now would be the time.

"Eric when you said that Clancy lived inside of Bill, what did Pam mean when she said that you lived inside of me?" Eric laughed then, the kind of laugh that always made my heart soar.

"That was another classic Pam tease. You have had a lot of my blood my lover. If I were to die, my blood would continue inside of you. She was just being Pam. I've never had a bond with a human before, and never given so much blood to someone unless I was turning them." I took a minute to process this.

"So you aren't going to die are you?" He shook his head and I continued.

"So what does me having so much of your blood mean? You said that we were close to some limit. What will that do to me?" Eric kissed my forehead.

"Sookie, you will live about 20 to 40 years longer than a normal human. I'm sorry if this upsets you, but I had to do what I could to heal you. Since you refuse to becoming a vampire, it was all that I could do. But you must stay extra safe for awhile. If I give you any more blood in a months time, you will start the transformation to becoming a vampire. Why did you take my blood so easily anyway? Usually you fight tooth and nail." It was my turn to sigh.

"I just gave in to the inevitable. I knew you would get it in me and I was too tired to fight you. I didn't want to fight you. I wanted to get better. Although I might have changed my mind if I had known what the next few days would be like." His eyebrows pulled together. He looked confused.

"What do you mean my lover?" I hung my head and told him all about Niall, Claude, Amelia, and Sam. He sat listening to me and I could tell that he was angry through our blood bond. I finished with.

"So I was thinking that maybe dead would be better than living without anyone." I heard a low growl coming from Eric's chest. I looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Sookie, I…" He stopped himself again and before I could tell him to continue he swooped me up into his arms and rushed me to his bedroom. Once in his room, he flew us onto his bed. He kissed me with such passion that my whole body felt like it was on fire! He looked me in the eyes and I saw that fire in his eyes burning too.

"Sookie, you said that you would rather be dead than live without anyone. What am I dear heart? Am I no one to you?"

"Eric of course you are someone, I didn't mean…" He stopped me with a kiss that took my breath away.

"If you were dead my lover, what would I do? You are my bonded, my wife. No vampire has ever had such a thing. I am lucky, but what if you were dead? What would I do without my hearts desire?" He wasn't leaving any room for me to speak. He kissed me again and my body started aching to have him. My heart was soaring too! Last time he tried telling me how he felt, I stopped him due to my fears. I think this time I wouldn't be able to stop him, and I was glad for it. He growled again and ripped his shirt off of my body. I gasped with pleasure and anticipation.

"You stopped me last time from telling you how I felt, I will make sure you are not able to stop me this time!" He took his clothes off and put his generous plenty at my opening. He kissed me again and then entered me. My eyes rolled back in my head as I moaned in pleasure.

"Sookie, I love you. I love you more than anyone has ever loved you, on that I am sure. I think I've loved you for a long time, but I wouldn't even admit to myself. Love for my kind is usually seen as a weakness. But for you I would give every and be seen as weak. I would never do this for another, even when I was human. For you I would, if that is what you asked of me." The whole time he spoke he moved in and out of me. My heart and body were in overdrive. I started to open my mouth to talk to him, but he quickly kissed me to keep me silent.

"All those things I offered you before, I offered because it was what I thought you wanted to hear and would make you happy. I take them all back. I don't want to do something just to make you happy. I want you to be ecstatic! I want your whole body to scream of love for me. I want your mind to think of no one but me. I want your heart to be mine completely. I don't want you to be mine in just words Sookie. I want you to be mine in every sense." I was crying now. I _was_ ecstatic! He didn't know-I don't think I even knew- that I was his completely. Only he could make me happy when my whole world seemed to want me to feel miserable. I let go then and decided to quit fighting myself. I was his, I was happy, and I was in love.

"Eric I love you!" I screamed as fast as I could before he could stop me from speaking again. I looked into his eyes and he had a red tear streaming down his cheek. I knew right then that Niall had been talking about Eric when he said his mysterious last piece of advice to me. Eric and I then climaxed together.


	5. Chapter 5

**_These characters do not belong to me, they belong to Charlaine Harris._**

**This is sort of a fluff chapter just to tie up a few loose ends. I hope you guys enjoy it. Don't worry, more action is coming soon!~~~~**

We laid tangled together for awhile without speaking while our bodies relaxed from our climax. I finally decided to break the silence.

"Eric, I love you too. I am yours completely. I'll never doubt you again." He looked down at me, smiled, and kissed me on the lips.

"I was waiting for you lover. I've waited for you for a thousand years. Next time nothing will stop me from getting to you." I knew he meant it and I felt comforted by his saying it. I hadn't felt this good in awhile, so I just relaxed into the moment.

"So dear one, if you are now mine, will you accept our marriage?" I chuckled at that.

"Eric, I accept our marriage in the vampire society. But for me to accept the marriage you are going to have to play human for a night and get married to me legally, the human way." He kissed me again.

"I told you, anything for you lover. What other demands do you have for me?" I thought about that. What else did I want from Eric?

"Well, you have to keep in touch with me. No more disappearing without a word. And if you are in trouble, I want to know. Other than that, I'm not sure. I bet I'll think of more later, but for now that would make me happy." Eric smiled and agreed to my terms. We then made love slowly and sweetly.

After we were once again satiated, we took a bath together and got ready to go see Pam and Bill. Eric said that we would visit Bill first. He was staying at Pam's house. She had shared the house with Chow until he met his final death in the witch war. I thought it was a good place for Bill. He would have protection if he needed it and would be able to heal in peace. Eric let us into Pam's house and led me to Chow's old bedroom. We knocked on the door and I could hear Bill's cool voice.

"Come in." Bill looked better from the last time I had seen him. He wasn't as grey looking and you could tell that he was out of immediate danger. But he still looked bad for Bill. I rushed to the side of his bed and bent to give him a huge hug and then I kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you Bill! For everything." He smiled at me but then sniffed. I knew he smelled Eric, on me and in my blood.

"Anything for you Sookie." Boy I was hearing that a lot tonight. He continued.

"You are looking better. I suspect that you will only be left with minimal scarring." I nodded to show him I agreed. He then closed his eyes.

"So there is no hope for me anyway is there?" I almost cried hearing that. After everything he had been through for me. After all the ways he had shown me that he did love me, I could give him nothing in return. My heart ached for that. If he had asked for anything besides my love, I would have gladly given it to him, but my heart was taken.

"I'm sorry Bill. I really am. I have forgiven you for everything, and I do love you. But I can't give you my heart, it's not even mine anymore. I hope that you can just take my friendship. I hope that will be enough." He sighed and opened his eyes again to look at me.

"That will be enough for now. I will still never give up completely. Someday, Eric will not be enough for you, and I will be there for you. I can wait forever for your love. I will not bother you with it anymore though, for now." I nodded. I couldn't speak. I didn't even know what I would say even if I could speak. So I bent down and kissed him on the cheek again. Eric and Bill talked about vampire affairs and about the fairies leaving while my mind wondered. Eric then surprised me and said to Bill.

"Since you accept Sookie's friendship and you know that she is mine, I must finally thank you." Even Bill's eyes got bigger on that one.

"You were there for her when I could not be. I am grateful for that." Bill nodded to Eric in acceptance and then they continued their banter about trivial things. I spoke then.

"Since we are all being friendly, and my favourite people are here, maybe you can help me." Both of their faces turned to me in anticipation. I explained to Bill like I did to Eric last night. About everything that had happened with Niall, Claude, Amelia, and Sam.

"I can't just not work. I have to be around people to keep my 'gift' in practice. There is no place to work in Bon Temps besides from Merlottes that I could stand to work in. I suppose I could move into Claudine's house and work at Claude's bar in Monroe, but then what would I do with Gran's house. And if I don't, what do I do with those places? I don't even know how many businesses they had or how much money. From what Claudine said the day before I was taken, it sounds like it is a lot. I've never been presented with a problem like this before. I need advice. I don't even know what the story for their disappearance is. It's all to much for me to think about by myself." Bill and Eric exchanged glances. Eric spoke first.

"Sounds like you had more on your mind than I thought lover. I would like to hear what Bill has to say on this." Bill looked surprised that Eric hadn't taken the lead and answered.

"Well, as for the story about their disappearance, I'm sure that the lawyer will tell you what was decided. We can't really help you much until we know what was in the inheritance, but I would think that the lawyer will have some good advice on what to do with it all. As for your Gran's house. Maybe you could rent it out, or make some renovations. I don't think you should move to Monroe though. At least if you are in Bon Temps I am near. In Monroe, there would be no one close to help you if you needed it. For the job, I'm just not sure. Maybe we should wait until we know the inheritance for that too. You could just go out into the world more until you have that figured out though. That way your gift doesn't go out of practice but you don't have to make any permanent decisions. Thank you for your trust in me to share that with me though. I will be here to help you in any way I can." Eric nodded in agreement and said another thing that surprised me.

"You are wise Bill. I agree with your assessment." I smiled at them both.

"Thank you. Both of you. I think you are the only friends I have right now." Bill interrupted me then.

"Sookie, we will always be here. As for Amelia, she will come back when she has had time to think things through. She has not abandoned you completely. You have been through a lot and you deal with things better than any human I have ever known. Let her deal with things her way, and you will see that your friendship has survived. As for Sam, he will miss you. He just cannot accept that you don't love him. I can understand him there. But maybe you should give him time as well. I cannot say that he will get over it or not, but if he doesn't then he is the kind of man you should avoid. I know it hurts you, but you are not alone." That made me feel a lot better. I thanked him again and then Eric and I said our goodbyes and decided to let him rest.

We then went to Fangtasia. We entered through the employee entrance and Eric lead me to his office. He then left and returned shortly with Pam following behind him. Pam grinned when she saw me.

"Looking better Sookie. You look good enough to eat again." I cringed at that, not because of Pam's teasing but at the reminder of being eaten. The fairies had done everything but swallowed. Eric felt this from our bond.

"Pam, that's enough. Bad wording." Pam seemed to have clued in at that. She bowed her head to Eric and looked at me.

"I'm sorry Sookie. Perhaps it was badly worded. I am glad to see you looking healthier." I smiled at Pam. I knew she didn't mean to drudge up those memories for me.

"How's Bubba, Pam?" She smiled knowing she was forgiven.

"He is healing well. The last of the poison left his blood tonight. Though the poison is gone, he is still a bit confused. In another week he will be completely back to normal." I was relieved to hear that. I still felt guilty that I hadn't thought of him until Eric told me what had happened though. At least only Eric knew this flaw in my judgement. Eric grinned at me and winked. We talked to Pam for awhile about what had gone on. Pam's face looked a bit sad about Amelia's departure. After awhile Eric asked me if I would mind going to sit in the bar with him.

"I still need to keep the appeal of the bar up. We don't want those pathetic people out there forgetting my good looks." He then laughed the laugh that I loved and I couldn't help but laugh with him and agree to go out with him.

We sat at one of the table and just enjoyed the evening. I still couldn't shield very well though. I was feeling better, but I was still weak. That made every thought come through to me. Most were pretty predictable. Sex, sex, and more sex. A few _Bite me please_ thoughts, and of course the _He's gorgeous!_ thoughts about Eric. I was use to all of those. What I didn't expect were how many people were looking at me. _She is beautiful! No wonder he chose her._ _Maybe if I dye my hair to her color and dress a little down he will chose me next._ I looked down at myself then. I was wearing some boxers of Eric's and a shirt of his until we got to Pam's house and Eric took some of her clothes for me. They were a bit tight and long for me, but Pam said she didn't mind me using them so it was all I had. I laughed out loud at what people were thinking about me. Eric looked at me amused.

"What are they thinking that has you laughing?" I beamed at him.

"They are actually jealous of me! They are thinking that if they looked more like me then maybe they could get you." He chuckled.

"Not likely. I am yours as much as you are mine. No imitation could do. You are one of a kind." I couldn't believe how happy I was in that moment. All the problems of the last week drained out of me completely. Eric must have felt that in the bond because he beamed back at me. He then stood up and came to my side of the table. In front of all the patrons in the bar, Eric bent down on one knee. He pulled out a box from his pocket, that I didn't even know he had. He then opened it, pulled out a ring, and looked up at me.

"Sookie my love, will you do me the honour of making our marriage legal? In other words, will you marry me? No games, no tricks, just me and you doing it your way?" I was speechless. My jaw dropped open, my heart started racing, and tears sprang from my eyes. Every person in the bar, vampires included, were looking at us. I guess Eric said it louder than I thought. All of that drifted away as I looked at my Viking.

"Yes Eric, definitely Yes!" was all that I could say. He stood up, placed the ring on my finger, and gathered me into his arms. He squeezed me tightly and kissed me with so much passion that my knees started to go weak.

Everyone in the bar started clapping. Pam came to our side then and kneeled to me. The rest of the vampires and employees in the bar followed suit behind her. My jaw was not the only one dropping open at that. Ever human besides the employees had theirs open as well. Pam stood then and spoke.

"Sookie, you will be a good addition to our Area. No other human would fit as well as you." I had no words to say. I was taken by complete surprise and filled with so much happiness that all I could do was nod and hug Eric tighter to me.

A few minutes later and everyone had returned to their normal behaviour at the bar. Eric and I had sat back down, this time on the same side of the booth snuggled together. "The Reason" by Hoobastank came on the all vampire radio station KDED. It was an odd song to be played on that station. Eric, looked at me during the intro and asked me to dance. We moved to the dance floor and held each other tight as we swayed to the music. Eric looked at me.

"The reason is you my dear one." I smiled at him while more tears filled my eyes. I swear I was Weeping Willa lately. I kissed him passionately and we continued our dance. At the end of the song the vampire DJ spoke up.

"Well that was different. That song goes from Eric to Sookie". My eyes opened wide and I kissed him again. He smiled down at me and showed his fangs. I knew that he wanted me completely. I had a man who loved me-even if he was a vampire- and I was so happy I thought that my heart would burst.

"Can we go to your house soon? I think we have some celebrating to do." He laughed at me and agreed. We left the bar and after I climbed into his corvette he kissed me again.

"Sookie, I'll send Bobby Burnham to the house in the afternoon. He will take you to get some clothes, unless you are wanting to go home?" I smiled at him.

"No Eric, I can stay one more day, but after that I really do need to go home. I don't want to miss the lawyer coming. But does it have to be Bobby? We had this discussion before." He laughed at me.

"Well, put up with Bobby tomorrow and then we will relieve him of his position. Maybe we'll send him to Victor as a get well present. We'll find someone more suitable."

"Great, a new enemy." Eric looked me in my eyes and said sincerely.

"Don't worry lover. I will glamour him after tomorrow so that he won't even remember who you are." I was pacified by this. I usually would fight about someone's mind being altered, but in this situation it didn't sound like a bad idea. I nodded my agreement to Eric.

We stopped at McDonalds on the way back to his house so that I could eat. Eric laughed at the attendants when their eyes got big at sight of him. I ordered a regular cheese burger and fries. We then went back to his house and headed straight for the bedroom. We then celebrated our engagement in the most satisfying and pleasant way I could imagine.


	6. Chapter 6

**_These characters do not belong to me, they belong to Charlaine Harris._**

**I hope you guys enjoy! I really appreciate all the comments and alerts. You guys really keep me going and I get excited to write now! Thanks!**

**I'd also like to warn that there is a love scene in this for all of you younger readers. I never realized how hard it was to write a love scene! Kudos to all of those on this site who write them! I'm a much better reader to them then writer lol.**

Bobby called my cell phone at around noon. Since Eric and I had ravished each other till dawn, I wasn't too happy with the wake up call. But I did need some clothes and I needed to get out into the world again. I answered my phone and told him I'd meet him at the gate. He didn't have the code to get into the gated community. Once he arrived, I got into his car.

"So where to Sookie?" His head was saying, _Act nice and pleasant or Eric will punish you. Now that they are engaged he would kill me if he knew how much I hated her. She isn't good enough for him._ I ignored him like always and just placed my fake smile on my face.

"Well, is there a Wal-Mart here?" He nodded and we started heading out that way. Bobby started talking on the way there.

"Mr. Northman has provided me with a debit card for your use. He said that cost was not a problem, so feel free to spend as much as you would like. If you don't mind though, I would prefer to sit in the car."

"Thank you Mr. Burnham. I won't take much time. I just need something for today and tonight so that I can give Pam her clothes back. I'll hurry."

Once inside I went to the ladies clothing. I picked myself up some jeans and a t-shirt that was purple and had a heart on it in a tribal design. I then went to the dresses. I picked myself up a nice little black dress that came to my knees and was sleeveless. I stopped and grabbed myself two sets of black under things and on a whim grabbed myself a nice red nighty. I then went to the shoes and got a pair of plain tennis shoes and some black heels to go with my dress. The last item I grabbed was a black purse. I figured if Eric was paying then I would treat myself. I could always pay him back later after the inheritance came in. After I checked out I went to the car. In total it took an hour and then we were on our way back to Eric's house. Bobby dropped me off at the gate with a "Take care Sookie." And he left. I walked back to Eric's house pretty happy with how the day was going.

Back at Eric's, I took a shower in the bathroom downstairs. I did my nails in a deep red color that matched the nighty I bought and did my toe nails to match. I sort of lounged around for awhile till my hair dried, ate a sandwich, and then looked at the time. Time seemed to be flying by. Eric would be awake in an hour. I figured that we would probably head to Fangtasia tonight so I decided to put on my black dress. I loved to dress up for Eric. He always made me feel beautiful. I decided to leave my hair down tonight. I would have put it in an updo, but the best I can manage is my legendary pony tail. Maybe one of these days I would see if Pam would teach me how to fix my hair. Her hair was always pretty. I slapped on a touch of makeup and threw on my shoes. I felt wonderful. Sure I had a few scars on my legs, but the majority of the scars were on my stomach so as long as I didn't wear a midriff I figured I was okay. I was still putting on my shoes when I heard Eric rustling around upstairs. He started to come down the stairs and then he saw me. He smiled a huge smile and then was in front of me in a heartbeat.

"You look beautiful my lover." I giggled at him as he kissed me on the cheek, neck, and then lips.

"I had thought we would go back to Fangtasia, but maybe we should stay in instead." I batted Eric on the arm.

"No, we'll go to Fangtasia. I have something to wear just for you when we get back." I giggled again as he growled and tried to grab me. He didn't try to hard because I was able to dodge it and run into the living room-that is pretty hard on heels too! I was only able to get to the living room though. He grabbed me from behind and spun me to face him. He kissed me on the lips and again my body responded. It took everything I had in me to push him away. After I gathered my breath I spoke.

"Eric, we go out first, play later. Do I look okay for the club?"

"You do dear heart, but I want to take you out to eat first. Then we'll go to the club. And then, I'll take you to my bed." He gave me a leering smile as I blushed. I grabbed his hand and we headed out of the door.

Eric took me to a beautiful sea food restaurant! I ordered something small and Eric had a bottle of True Blood. We ate in silence but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. It was the kind that made you feel wrapped in a warm blanket. Completely natural and comfortable. After we ate, we headed to Fangtasia. Pam met us at our table after we entered into the bar area and settled. Eric still had to put in his appearance he said. Pam gave us a teasing smile.

"So have our fine couple made a wedding date yet?" Eric rolled his eyes while I giggled.

"No Pam, we haven't. I did want to ask you though. If it isn't too human and annoying for you, would you help me plan the wedding?" For the first time I think I surprised Pam. The surprise on her face only lasted a second though.

"Of course I'll help Sookie. Just let me know what to do. But during the day, of course you are on your own." She then gave me a snicker.

"By the way, your brother stopped in tonight with a guy who looked like his twin. You only have one brother right?" My jaw dropped open and my eyes opened wide in a panicked look. I nodded to her while I looked at Eric for reassurance. She didn't register my look so she continued.

"They must have figured out that cloning thing they were working on because this other guy looked just like your brother. Anyway, they came in wondering if you were here. I told them no but that you would probably show up with your fiancé later tonight. They didn't stick around though. Your brother said that he would wait for you at your house. He said he heard about an inheritance and that he wanted to talk to you about it. He didn't look happy. Are you coming into some money Sookie?" I didn't know what to say. My eyes stayed on Eric and he didn't look happy himself. I was almost having a full blown panic attack! I was scared and I know Eric felt that through our blood-bond. He got up and came to my side of the booth and put his arm around me and pulled me so that my head was laying on his shoulder. He answered Pam for me.

"She is Pam. This could be trouble though. Dermont was on Breandan's side in the fairie war. He was left behind but we don't know what he is capable of. The money she is expecting is from her fairie family. If you see them again I need to know right away. Tell the rest of the staff too. If a human sees them out, have them call my house number. If a vampire sees them, I want them captured right away, but not hurt. Do you understand?" Pam nodded and backed away from our table to go spread the word. Eric turned to me.

"Lover are you alright?" I barely heard him, I was lost in panic! I started hyperventilating and mumbled.

"No more! I can't take anymore Eric! No more!" I must have started making more alarming sounds because the thoughts in the bar turned to me. _What is wrong with her? The hot vampire must have dumped her and she is freaking out! Oh wow, she must be crazy!_ Many more came into my head but I just didn't care about them. I was beyond caring about anything but getting as far away from everyone and everything that I could. I wanted safety, but with my track record I knew that I probably wouldn't find it. I would be hurt again, maybe even die this time. Eric tried to send calming vibes through our bond but I was having none of it. I think I was loosing my mind. I couldn't handle any more pain. I would rather die. My body had been through so much that I didn't think even if I did live through more, that I would want to. How did they find out about the inheritance? Why was Jason hanging around Dermont. I know that I had written him off, but for him to team up with the man who wanted to kill me? Why were humans so heartless and cruel? I had so many questions and no way to get the answers. Eric grabbed my shoulders and turned me towards him.

"Sookie, I need you to breathe. I'm going to pick you up now and take home. Don't freak out on me okay? It's just me." I looked at him with my panicked eyes, barely taking in what he said.

"Home, I can't go home! They will be there waiting for me. They'll kill me Eric!" Pam ran over to me and slapped me in the face. She must not have done it too hard-it barely hurt and we all know that a vampire could really hurt me if they wanted to-but it worked. I looked at her, took a breath, and calmed down a bit. Eric nod his head at Pam as thanks and then picked me up.

"Sookie, we will go to my house. Don't worry, no one but Pam and you know where I live. Not even Bobby Burnham knows which house is mine. Let's go." I nodded and we headed out the employee entrance to his car.

We arrived at his house in record time. I was calming down a bit, but I couldn't help the feeling of doom I had. I knew that Jason wasn't waiting on me just to talk. Was the world ganging up on me? Were there wanted posters of me out there that made even my family want the reward? Eric carried me inside- I don't think my legs would work even if I tried-and he set me onto the sectional. Once there my wall broke and I burst out into tears. He once again had to be my comforter. He held me and cooed to me comforting but nonsensical words. When I finally cried myself out he turned me to him.

"Sookie, lover, we will figure this out. Maybe we'll send Bobby to find out what they want. You will not leave this house until we figure this out. You will be safe. I will not let anyone harm you again." His words comforted me somehow. But I was at least myself enough to save Bobby.

"Bobby can't go. Though I don't like the guy, he may get hurt. I should probably call Sam and warn him as well. Until we know what they want, we shouldn't let anyone take chances if they have had any connection to me." Eric's eyes narrowed when I said that.

"My lover. Was Sam there to warn you that Jason was hanging out with Dermont? And even if he didn't know, he threw you aside Sookie. He can take care of himself. You shouldn't talk to anyone but Pam, Bill, and myself." I was surprised that he put Bill into that little speech. I did agree with him though. Where Jason was a were panther, Sam was a rare shape shifter and could take care of himself. And he did dump me to the side and he said he was through with me so I wouldn't bother him again with my problems. Jason wouldn't go after him anyway. I'm sure he knew by now that Sam and I were not on speaking terms. Eric continued.

"As for Bobby, maybe you are right, he could be in danger if we sent him. We'll send someone to check out your house tomorrow night. If they are still there, we will take them into our custody and question them. We will send more than one vampire so that we know that no matter what they try we are taken care of. How does that sound?" I nodded in agreement. I still had danger on the brain, but it was slowly subsiding. If anyone could take care of me, Eric would be the one. He had proven that over and over again. If he was around, I would be safe. He then rubbed his hand more purposefully down my back and gave me a leering look.

"Should I take your mind off of it lover?" Boy was he good! With those few words, my nerves seemed to relax. I actually laughed at him! He kissed me tenderly then and scooped me up into his arms once again and took me to his bedroom. I didn't even pay attention to how we got to the bed. I was completely involved with my thoughts of Eric. I wanted to forget everything, and I knew that he could deliver that.

We were laying on our sides on the bed. Eric placed his hands on both sides of my face and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes and he kissed each of my eyelids. He moved my face towards his so that our lips could meet. His tongue parted my lips and our tongues touched. My body heat up while our tongues moved together like a perfect dance. I knew just how he kissed and vice versa. His hands slid from my face down to my neck and then continued to my shoulders. His touch made goose pimples rise on my flesh. It felt so good! He reached around my back and slowly unzipped my dress and unhooked my strapless bra. He placed his thumb at the top of the dress and gathered my bra into his fingers as well. He slowly slid it down my body letting his fingers caress my skin on the way down. He stopped at the top of my underwear and gathered them up as well. He continued his track down until my clothes were completely off. He threw my dress and it landed perfectly on the bench in front of the vanity. He then took off my heels and threw them in the corner across the room. My body was shaking with want for him as he lifted my leg and started to kiss the inside. His mouth and tongue made a trail up to my thigh. He kissed between my legs and started suckling and moving his tongue in a familiar pattern. I gasped as his finger slid into me and immediately found the spot that made my body quiver. Just as I was about to reach my release, he removed his mouth and started kissing my stomach. I groaned at him in frustration and he looked up at me.

"Shhh lover, have patience." I sighed loudly but then began to squirm again as he moved his mouth up my body and to my chest. He nipped and sucked each breast in turn as he kneaded the other with his hand. My body was screaming for him and I could hardly stand the anticipation.

"Eric, now!" He chuckled at me.

"No my lover. Good things come to those that wait."

"And bad things happen to those who tease." I added in frustration. He chuckled again and moved back to my mouth. Our tongues met and his manly hood teased my center. Finally he entered me and I cried out in satisfaction. I screamed in pleasure as he thrust in and out of me slowly. He moved faster and faster until I was screaming his name. Right before I climaxed, he moved his mouth to my breasts and bit. A wave of pure joy washed through me as my climax came. Eric finished quickly after I had. He didn't take too much blood, but I could see in his eyes how much restraint it took him. He collapsed on top of me and then moved us so that we were laying on our sides facing each other again. We repeated that performance many times until dawn. Eric then fell into his dead sleep in my arms.


	7. Chapter 7

**_These characters do not belong to me, they belong to Charlaine Harris._**

**This chapter was a fun one to write. Once again poor Sookie is gathering trouble like a bee gathers pollen. There are a few things that I will explain better later, I left them unanswered on purpose for the suspence. I promise I'll address it in the next few chapters and clear up the things that might have you confussed about certain characters. Thanks again for all of the reviews and alerts. You guys keep me going! I hope you enjoy!**

I was only asleep for a few hours when my cell phone rang. I rolled away from Eric and looked at the clock on the front before answering it. It was 9am.

"Hello?"

"Sookie, it's Sam. I was wondering if you could come in for the lunch rush? Things have been picking up and the new girl can't make it in." Sam sounded friendly, but I wasn't sure if it was because he needed me or if he was just more calm.

"Sam, I'm really sorry but I can't today." He sighed into the phone.

"Sookie, I know that I was horrible the other day, I don't know what got into me, but you didn't have to quit. And you said that if I needed you that you would come in. I really need you today Sookie." I didn't have the desire to go into our little fight today.

"Sam, any other time and you know that I would be there in a heartbeat, but I really can't today."

"Why?" He sounded a bit a agitated when he said that and of course, it fed my anger at having to explain.

"For starters I'm in Shreveport without a ride back to Bon Temps. I also think it would be a good idea for me to stay out of Bon Temps for a little while. Is there no one else you could call?" There was silence on Sam's end of the phone.

"Sam?" Even with my irritation I hated upsetting him.

"What's going on Sookie? Why would you need to stay away from your home? What has that vampire gotten you into now? Even your brother came in yesterday wondering where you were. Don't make us worry about you all the time Sookie, come home and stay out of the vampire business for awhile." That really got my temper going!

"The vampire hasn't gotten me into any trouble! Actually, we are formally engaged now. As for my brother, next time you see him tell him that whatever he is up to that he can just forget it! I don't want to see him and if he thinks I'll fall for his little traps and games then he is mistaken. And for you Sam, when are you going to realize that the vampires I hang around aren't getting me into trouble anymore. They were there for me when you weren't. You just pushed me to the side after all that we had been through. I know I'm a trouble magnet, but at least you could have said goodbye a bit nicer than you did!" I hung up then feeling red with anger! How dare he? After he pushed me to the side, how dare he act like I begged for trouble or something. Trouble seemed to have no problem finding me without help from me. And for him to still blame my vampires when they have been saving me for awhile now. Sure, they got me into a lot of trouble in the beginning, but that seemed to be the past now. I felt more safe with my vampires than I did with anyone else in the world!

That thought brought me up quick! My temper dissipated and I started to think of all the things I had been through since I met Bill. Then I compared them to the last few days. Was a few days of comfort worth forgetting all of the past trouble they brought me? That was something I'd have to think about while Eric was asleep for the day. What if I wasn't safe anywhere? I was tired of second guessing my feelings towards Eric, but maybe that was just what I needed to be doing. Oh boy was I a big mess right now or what? Why couldn't I have a few days of peace? No trouble creeping around the corner would be perfect right now. So would knowing what exactly it was I was feeling. But I had to face reality, and the reality was that those things wouldn't be coming. At least not for awhile. I left Eric's room to get myself a cup of coffee and to think for awhile.

While I was drinking my coffee, my mind kept thinking about what was happening in my life. I couldn't put my finger on exactly why everything had gone so wrong. I had never felt so abandoned before. Why now after all the things that had happened? Something was tugging at my mind and I just couldn't process what it was. I had a feeling that Jason and Dermont weren't the only dangers for me right now. I don't know why I felt this way, but I suspected more danger to pop up at any minute. As if on cue, my phone rang again. I answered reluctantly.

"Hello?"

"Hi Sookie!" It was Amelia. I was surprised to hear from her so soon after she left.

"I forgot to call you when I got here, I'm sorry. But my house isn't suitable at all anyway. It will take a few more weeks to be livable, I was thinking of coming back. Would that be okay? My dad talked to me about the Tray thing and I'm sorry if it seemed like I blamed you. I just was grieving, that's all. I hope you can forgive me?" Something wasn't right.

"Um Amelia, how are you feeling right now?" She giggled!

"A bit excited to see you. I miss you already. You are more like family then I ever realized." Hmmm, what was going on?

"Amelia, I miss you too, but I think you should stay in New Orleans. At least for now, let things settle down a bit more. Maybe you are in shock"

"No Sookie, I'm fine and I'm halfway there! Do you really not want me around?" She sounded sad and completely genuine.

"It's not that Amelia, it's just that some more trouble seems to be brewing. Don't go to the house, I'm not there anyway. Maybe you could go to a hotel for now? Just till we are sure that things are settled from the fairies leaving. If you need something to do for the day when you get there, I know Sam needs help right now. Maybe you could give him a hand until I get back to Bon Temps?"

"Okay. I miss Sam already too so it will be nice to see him. Where are you anyway?"

"I'm in Shreveport." Something in my head screamed a warning. It didn't make much sense to me, but I had learned better than to ignore my instincts so I quickly added.

"I called a cab though and I'm heading to Monroe to check on Claudine's house here in a minute so I better go. Just please don't go to my house for now okay?"

"Okay Sookie. Will you come see me tonight?"

"I'll try. Take care Amelia and be careful." We hung up and my bad feeling grew stronger. It just seemed wrong that she would be back so soon. Maybe she was in shock, or maybe she really did miss me. It just seemed odd. I couldn't shake my feeling that something else was going on. I could hardly wait till Eric woke up so that we could talk about it. He would probably have a better idea about what was going on. Maybe my nerves were just shot and I was just paranoid. I had heard that people who went through traumatic episodes often got paranoid. Thinking back, I think I had felt it more than once after one of my "adventures". That thought calmed me down a bit, but it didn't completely subside the feeling.

To get my mind on different things, I decided to check in with Remy. I knew that now was not the time to help Hunter, but I wanted to reassure Remy that I would not abandon him completely. I picked up my phone and dialled Remy's house number. I didn't think that he would be home, but I thought that I could leave a message. After five rings, Remy answered which took me by surprise.

"This is Remy." He said as a greeting.

"Hi Remy, this is Sookie." There was silence on the phone for a few seconds.

"Wonderful! I've been waiting for your call. Can I come up to talk to you?" I felt horrible.

"Umm, not right now, I just wanted to let you know that I was thinking of you and haven't forgotten. It's still not the best time, but soon I promise." He seemed upset by that.

"Well I could really use you immediately. Hold on Sookie, someone is at the door." He placed the phone down and a few seconds later I heard the receiver being picked up. I heard running little feet and then a door click shut and lock.

"Aunt Sookie?" It was Hunter! I was glad to hear his cute little voice again. It was wonderful to have a tiny piece of family still left in the world. I felt horrible that he had to go through the trials of our "gift" but I was determined to help him so that he didn't have to go through what I did.

"Hunter, I'm so glad to talk to you! How are you?" He sniffled and I knew that he was crying.

"Aunt Sookie, I'm scared. Daddy isn't right. Even his silent talk is wrong. He is thinking of you a lot, but I think Daddy wants to hurt you. But he didn't before. Daddy liked you. He thought you would help me. He even thought you were pretty like my mommy. I'm scared." I was a mix of emotions. I was scared for Hunter, scared for myself, heartbroken that Hunter was going through this, and confused that Remy would be acting strangely. To add to that mixed, I was oddly touched that Remy thought I was pretty like Hadley-what a strange time to feel smug or what?! I snapped back to attention when I heard Remy calling Hunter.

"Ok Hunter, I need to try something before your Daddy hears you."

"Okay Aunt Sookie." He whispered this as I heard Remy getting louder.

"I'm going to try and speak to you like we said goodbye when we first met, do you remember?"

"Yes."

"It will be harder than before and might not work, but I'm going to try and if you hear me answer me the same way okay?"

"Okay Aunt Sookie." I concentrated. I thought of Hunter and pushed my thoughts out to him.

_Can you hear me Hunter?_ I waited and a second later I heard in my head.

_Yes Aunt Sookie_. His gift was even stronger than mine! I sighed in relief and surprise, at least we could talk this way without being caught and with the strength of his gift I knew that he could contact me easily if he needed me.

"Good. Now Hunter, don't tell anyone else about us talking that way. We need to keep it secret. Not even your Daddy can know. Even if someone asks you, say that you don't know what they are talking about. If your Daddy tells anyone about you hearing the silent talk, act like you don't know what he is talking about. Pretend that you can't hear them. If they try to silent talk to you, say something back to them that they aren't thinking so that they won't believe him. Do you understand Hunter?" I closed my eyes praying that the poor baby could understand me. He was too young to have to be going through this.

_I understand Aunt Sookie. Daddy is coming though, I have to hang up the phone now._ I almost cried with pride for him. Then I heard the phone shut off.

_Good Hunter. You are a brave boy. Let me know if your Daddy scares you some more. It is better if he thinks about me than if he thinks about you. Tell him that you picked up the phone and it was beeping and then you had to use the bathroom. I'll contact you this way again in about 30 minutes okay?_ He seemed to understand me. I could feel that he was still scared, but he was much more mature then a normal four year old. I understood that completely. When you can hear people's thoughts, you had to grow up quick.

_Okay. I love you Aunt Sookie._ I smiled.

_I love you too Hunter._ I then shut off our connection so I could think without scaring Hunter even further.

I sat there for a minute in a complete mess. My eyes were tearing up and I think that I was beyond panic. I was in survival mode once again. This time it wasn't my survival that took the forefront of my mind. Hunter had a future. He deserved to be happy and to see what life held. I didn't know what was going on, but I knew that it was big. Poor Hunter was dragged into my mess when I did everything I could to keep him out of it. I would die to keep him safe. I knew that without even thinking about it. He was important. His gift surprised even me. When I was his age I had no control over my gift, and when I met Barry from Dallas, he was like I was when I was a teenager. Hunter surpassed us both. It was like he had complete control and understanding of his gift. That made me think even harder. Why would Remy have called me about Hunter going to kindergarten? Even if he didn't realize how much control Hunter had, surely he wouldn't be worried about Hunter getting along with other children. There was no way I could help him, he could probably help me instead. A new thought came into my head. Remy tried to get a hold of me right before the fairie war was at a head. Maybe one of the stray fairies-that's the way I thought of them now- had this plan in action before and just hadn't decided to quit. Or maybe they weren't related at all? I had no idea. I decided to open my mind and ask Hunter one more question.

_Hunter, can you hear me?_ I felt his awareness, so I continued.

_Hunter, when did your Daddy start to act strangely?_ I could feel Hunter think about it.

_Since he met Sandy. Around a week I guess._ I thought about that for a moment. It was as I thought, right before the fairie war had come to a head.

_Who is Sandy?_ Hunters thoughts turned a bit upset.

_Sandy Plates or something. She is Daddy's new girlfriend. I don't like her. I can't hear her thoughts very well, but I know that she doesn't like me and that she knows you. She doesn't like you either Aunt Sookie._ I tried to hide my panic.

_Hunter, do you mean Sandy Pelt?_ I could read before he said anything that I had said the name right so I continued.

_Have you ever heard of Sandy call herself Sandra? And has she ever talked about a Debbie, even with silent talk?_ Hunter had heard her say both of those things. He could also read from my head that I was scared of her. He started to become even more scared. I quickly thought about everything but Sandra.

_No Hunter, you are okay. I will be too. I love you. This makes a bit more sense now. Sandy is dangerous though so be careful around her. I'll keep in touch but I need to think about grown up things now so I'm going to shield you out. Remember, if you need me or just want to talk because you are scared, I'm here._ I knew I didn't have to talk to him like he was four anymore, but right now it just made me feel better.

_Okay Aunt Sookie, I'll keep in touch._ I cut our tie once again.


	8. Chapter 8

**_These characters do not belong to me, they belong to Charlaine Harris._**

**Thanks again for all of the reviews! Hope you enjoy!**

I was still thinking about what to do when Eric woke up and appeared in front of me. I hadn't even realized it was already dark. Eric looked at me with concern.

"You're thinking a mile a minute. What's wrong?" I barely even comprehended what he said. For some reason when Eric came in front of me I let my emotions go. I cried while I told him all of the phone calls I had that day. I told him about Hunter, but I didn't' mention his gift.

"Eric, Sandra has been trained with magic. She isn't a witch like Amelia, but her and Debbie were trained a little by their mother. Why would she attack my family? I don't even know them that well, I just found out about them a few months ago. How did she learn about them?" Eric looked a bit angry.

"Sookie, why did you never tell me about Remy and Hunter? Who did you tell about them?" I hadn't even realized that I never mentioned them before. I know I kept Hunter's "gift" a secret but I couldn't believe I didn't tell him anything about them.

"I found out about them through Amelia's father. He knew that Hadley had a child and he knew Remy's name. Niall found them for me but I didn't tell him that he was family, I just gave him the name. I guess with everything that happened I just forgot to mention them to you. But I didn't tell anyone, not even Sam about them. Amelia's dad was the only one who knew and I just remembered that. Oh my God, is Amelia working with Sandra?" The thought broke my heart. I loved Amelia and I had trusted her. Would she really do this to me? Eric thought for a little while in silence.

"I'm just not sure anymore lover. If he was the only one to know then I'm sure he told others. Dermont might have found out from traitor fairies too that ran errands for Niall. There is also the possibility that Mr. Cataliades would have known and could have told someone." I thought about that.

"Eric, I'm pretty sure Mr. Cataliades didn't tell anyone, if he even knew. He sent Diantha to warn me about the fairies coming after me during the fairie war. Diantha said that he liked me because of the help I provided during the Rhodes bombing. Diantha had told me not to tell anyone because he was suppose to be neutral, so I'm pretty sure it wasn't him." Eric thought about what I had just shared. Another secret I had kept from him.

"He could get into a lot of trouble for that, but he does seem to be on our side, so I will keep it silent. I'm not sure about the rest though dear one. I think we have big trouble up ahead." I was feeling a bit sarcastic then.

"Oh you are just now figuring that out?" He smiled at me and looked amused.

"Well, you seem a bit more calm now at least. It seems like you have kept a lot from me however my dear one." I looked at him sheepishly.

"Well, like you told me… I'll tell you the truth, even if I don't tell you everything. I have a lot of thoughts in my head and sometimes I just don't have the time to share them. Or they are told to me in confidence and then it is not my secret to share." Eric bent down and gave me a kiss on the forehead.

"We are so much alike my lover." I didn't feel like figuring out that statement so I moved on.

"So what should we do Eric? Hunter has to be kept safe. I love him." Eric paced for a few moments. He would start to say something and then shut his mouth and continue his walk around the kitchen. Finally he talked.

"Well, I think that we should go to Fangtasia and call Felipe de Castro. You are still under his protection and this seems to be a pretty big fight. With the fairies, no one really wanted to intervene, but no one else besides the fairies could cause us much harm. I will send some scouts, but I don't think we want to make a big move until we know if the situations are connected or not." Leave it to Eric to take the practical course of action and think about things thoroughly- I know I was!

I agreed to Eric's plan and excused myself to go get ready. I was shaking the whole time. I put on my only outfit-besides the dress that was wasted last night- and tried to put on make up. After a few attempts I decided against it. I was shaking too badly for any hope of looking good tonight. If it weren't for Eric I wouldn't have even attempted it, but what can I say, I am a girl in love. It took me longer than usual though. Eric was dressed and waiting patiently in his living room for me.

"You look wonderful my dear." I figured he probably sensed my hope of his approval in our blood-bond so I only blushed minimally. Then we headed out to Fangtasia to get help. We walked through the employee entrance like usual and headed straight for his office. Pam arrived a minute later.

"You called me Eric? Are we having an argument about the wedding?" It was the first time I even thought about getting married to Eric all day -leave it to Pam to remind me. Eric looked a bit annoyed at her teasing.

"No Pam. We seem to have more trouble brewing. I'm calling Felipe and please let the staff know that a mandatory meeting will be held after I speak to him. Have everyone spread the word to all vampires in Area 5." Pam nod her head to him and slipped out the door.

"Eric, do you really think Felipe will help? I know that he wants me for his, so do you think he will help even though he cannot have me?" Eric smiled at me reassuringly.

"Of course my lover. He made a vow to you that he would provide protection. Our union upset him, but not enough to ruin his reputaion." I was relieved to hear that. I thought my protection ended when Clancy met his final death. I had another thought then.

"Do you think that my 'friend of the pack' will help for this too? I know that Tray died protecting me, but maybe Alcide thinks of it like Felipe does and his protection will still hold too." Eric looked at me in a thoughtful manner.

"You might be right lover. I will send someone to question him. I wouldn't be counting on it though. All Supes are less affected by witches and spells than the normal human, but vampires seem to be even less affected by it than the two-natured. We will send someone who knows the were's the best and see what they sense from them when the question is asked." I prayed that Alcide would help. I was hoping that he wasn't in on the whole mess already and would do what he could to help me. We had a good time together when we pretended to be dating and we almost dated for real. I hoped that he would be on my side in whatever was going on. Eric got on the phone to reach Felipe while I thought about the likelihood of Alcide's help. When Eric got off the phone he called one of the vampires that were in the bar for the night. She was one of the vampires that only came in once a month to sit in the bar. I didn't even know her name. Eric talked quietly to her and then she left. Eric came over to me and wrapped me in his arms.

"Alright lover, Samantha is going to talk to Alcide. Felipe and some of his vampires are on the way. No matter what is going on we will take care of it." He kissed me on the forehead and it did seem to help.

Eric lead me into the bar to wait for Felipe. Some of the patrons that were there during my freak out, gave me strange looks but I was too involved in my own worries to care. I couldn't help but pay attention when I heard all of the commotion though. I turned my head to see what was going on. Thoughts flooded my head.

"Diantha is here," I said right as Eric was standing up to go to the commotion.

"Well she isn't being subtle about it." Eric was not impressed. Diantha came up to us then and she looked furious!

"WhatchaDoingSookie?" I didn't have time to answer her, she continued, slowing her speech down so I could better understand her.

"Why have you captured my uncle? What did he do to you but help you?" I was stunned and confused.

"I don't understand Diantha, I haven't captured anyone. I am under attack I think though. Why did you think that I did it?" Her eyes got big and then she sat down beside me. Eric was looking extra cautious.

"I think we three need to head to my office to discuss this." I nodded and Diantha and I stood to follow Eric out. Diantha wrapped her arm around me, which was rather unusual, but I acted like it was the most normal thing in the world. Once in the office, Eric began.

"Tell us everything Diantha." I sat with her on the couch.

"We went to Sookie's house. Niall hired my uncle as his lawyer after he won the fairie war and decided to shut down the portal. My uncle knew that he was calling on Sookie early, but as I told her, he likes her a lot. He thinks she tries hard and is good to have on your good side. I smelled something odd, sort of like a fairie but not quite one. I went around the yard and when I came back there was a note saying that they have my uncle and if I try anything rash they will kill him. It was signed Sookie. I came here to see what you knew about it Eric and then I saw Sookie here." I let out a breath. I hadn't even realized that I was holding it until then.

"Diantha, it wasn't me." Eric broke in then.

"Sookie hasn't been home. Did this happen tonight Diantha?" She nodded.

"Has your uncle told anyone about being Niall's lawyer?"

"No, I was the only one to know. He thought that we would surprise Sookie. He said she would probably not be mad that we came early since we would be familiar to her. He said I could come only because it was Sookie, usually I don't get to come to his law affairs." I smiled at her. Mr. Cataliades was right. I wouldn't have minded, if only things hadn't gone this way.

"What do we do Eric?" I asked him because I had no idea. I think it would be a long time before I ran out on instinct again. Had I been running on instinct I think I would have already been out the door and probably close to death. Eric was thinking. His brows were pulled together and I knew not to interrupt him, I needed him to be thinking clearly.

"Well, I think we will just wait for Felipe. Looks like we might need all the power we can get on this one. Sookie, are there any other witches you know that might not be considered your friend enough to be put under the spell?"

"Well there is Octavia, but I'm not sure if she would be under the spell already. I know she was amazing at blocking my thoughts, maybe she could block the spell?" Eric started pacing again.

"Maybe you could call her and find out." I frowned. I didn't have Octavia's number since she moved back to New Orleans. I told Eric about that and then Diantha spoke up.

"ICanGoFindHer." Eric and I looked at her. She smiled brightly. "I'mFast."

"This could work. That way, we will know for sure if she is under a spell. Diantha, if she isn't in New Orleans then don't try to find her. That will most likely mean she is already involved. If she is in New Orleans and doesn't seem to know what is going on, then ask her to gather as many of her witch friends as she can. Tell her not to trust Amelia and that Sookie is in trouble." Diantha nodded and then sped out of the office to go sniff out Octavia.


	9. Chapter 9

**_These characters do not belong to me, they belong to Charlaine Harris._**

**Once again, thanks for all of the reviews! I'd like to thank someone in paticular(you know who you are) for your help on correcting a grammical error. I hope you all enjoy!**

Eric was sitting next to me on the couch trying to calm me down. I don't think I really needed it at this point, I was beyond panic-I was numb. My body had even stopped shaking. I couldn't think of a thing except for how grateful I was to Eric. He was being my anchor and I was sure without him I would have drifted away into crazy world already. We were waiting for Felipe and I could feel Eric through our bond trying to send calming waves to me while thinking himself. It was a sort of tickling feeling and I actually started giggling aloud. Eric looked at me like I was lost to shock and then my giggling was interrupted. I stopped with my mouth still open and a smile still on my face as my awareness opened.

_Aunt Sookie, Aunt Sookie!_ It was Hunter and I could tell that he was in a panic.

_I'm here Hunter. What's going on sweetie? _I was starting to panic myself. The numbness was slipping away from me.

"Sookie, what is going on?" Eric was shaking my shoulders trying to shake me into the here and now. All I could do was wave my hand at him to give me a minute and wait for Hunter to continue.

_Hunter, you have to tell me what is wrong._

_We are at your house Aunt Sookie. There are a lot of people here. Daddy put me upstairs and told me to play up here. There are so many people. I'm scared! _Tears started streaming down my face. I would give anything to keep him away from all of this. It was my fault he was scared and possible in trouble.

_Ok Hunter, just stay upstairs for now. I'm going to talk to someone to find out what we should do. Is anyone talking about you being able to hear their silent talk?_

_No. No one is paying me any attention. They are all talking about you and about hurting you. Most of them aren't thinking clearly. Their silent talk sounds like my Daddy's. Some more people showed up right before I called you. Their silent talk is more like Sandy's though. It doesn't sound like most peoples. I did get from one of them though that his name was Alcide and that he couldn't remember why he was mad at you._ I let out a breath. Well, I knew now that Samantha wasn't going to have any luck with the Shreveport Weres.

_Okay Hunter. It will all be okay somehow. I'm going to go talk now. I think in one of the bedroom closets there are some of my brother's toys from when he was small. I'll call you again soon okay?_ I could feel his worry and his intrigue in the toys. He was glad that there might be something to get his mind off of everything.

_Okay Aunt Sookie. Thank you. _I cut our line then and turned to Eric with tears streaming down my face.

I couldn't speak to him at first. He could feel this through our bond and he pulled me to his chest while I cried. A minute later I calmed myself enough to tell him what was going on. I knew I couldn't hide Hunter's gift from him anymore.

"Eric, I have kept something from you. You have to give me your word that you won't tell anyone. If you love me, you will keep your word too." I couldn't look at his face when I said this, but I pushed how serious I was through our bond. Eric sat silent for awhile and then answered me.

"Alright my lover. I will not tell a soul. I love you so much that of course I will keep this secret. Even if it puts my life in danger, I will not tell a soul." Well that didn't help me much. Now I would be worried about him getting into trouble if this ever got out. But I knew I had to continue.

"Eric, my cousin's son Hunter, well, he has my gift. He can read people's thoughts and he is really strong with his gift. He has more control than I ever did. He just contacted me, the same way that Barry and I would speak. His dad took him to my house and he is scared. Eric, Alcide is already there and I don't know who else is, but Hunter said there were a lot of people there." I waited while Eric absorbed all this. I could tell that he was shocked by my revelation about Hunter's gift. He knew that it took a lot to tell him and he loved me for trusting him with it-that made me squeeze him tighter to myself. He pulled away then and grabbed my chin so I would look him in the eyes.

"My lover, thank you for telling me. I will keep the secret, but this could be a good thing. He could help us. He could give us inside information that could help us when we confront them." My eyes got bigger. I didn't want to involve Hunter any more than I already had, but I could see Eric's point too. I knew he was right, but I didn't have to be happy about it. I closed my eyes and nodded. The good thing about Eric is that I didn't have to say what I was feeling, he knew.

"We will keep him safe my lover." I leaned in to kiss him as thanks. After our kiss, I pulled away to speak.

"Okay, so I'll talk to him again. You should probably call back that Samantha. We know where Alcide stands now." Eric nodded and went to his phone while I concentrated on Hunter.

_Hi Aunt Sookie. I found the toys!_ I giggled. I was glad that he was enjoying himself and I still couldn't believe how good he was with his gift. I didn't even have to say anything to let him know I was ready to talk. I really didn't want to get him away from concentrating on his toys, but I knew we needed the information.

_I'm glad you did Hunter. I need your help though. I'm sorry to ask you to do this, but can you tell how many people are at my house?_ I could feel him concentrating on counting.

_Fourteen. Only one person's brain is like my Daddy's though. Seven of them are like Sandy, one is like Sandy but even harder to hear, one is almost like Sandy but sort of like my Daddy too. Then there is one that is tied up and he sounds like buzzing. The last one is the hardest to hear. He isn't like any of the others. He is making lots of weird silent talk to the others, but they can't hear him. I can only hear him sometimes, but I don't like listening at all._ It was amazing how he just told me everything I would have asked. I sent him a mental pat on the back.

_That is a good job Hunter. That's all I needed to know. I'm going to go again and it might be awhile before I contact you again. If you need me though or if things change there, you don't wait to contact me. I'll be here for you as much as I can and we will make everything alright._ _I love you Hunter._

_I love you too Aunt Sookie. _And with that we cut our communication again.

I told Eric everything that Hunter had shared with me. He looked impressed, but a bit troubled.

"Well, at least we know there won't be any surprises. I'm taking it that your friends are under a spell. We can try to get the Shreveport witches to help us, and if Diantha finds Octavia and she comes to help then hopefully we can counter that spell. That would be the best because then we only have two people to take down. I won't pretend not to enjoy it either." I would normally be angry by this, but to be honest, I was glad that he said that. I would enjoy it too. I was tired of having people show up trying to kill me and my friends, or in this case, turning my friends against me.

"Make sure to take out Dermont first, he is the most powerful." I could tell that my little speech shocked Eric. He bent down to kiss me on the lips. Just then the door to Eric's office opened. Bill was standing there looking sort of angry.

"Why didn't you tell me there was trouble Sookie? I would have been here immediately." I hung my head and sighed.

"Bill, I didn't know how much trouble there was until tonight. You aren't in any shape to try and fight for me Bill. I…" He cut me off with a look that could cut steel.

"Sookie, when will you learn that I will help you always. I'm fine. I'm much stronger than I was. Eric, what should we do?" Eric looked at Bill with a look I'd never seen before. I think it held a bit of respect.

"I appreciate your dedication to Sookie, Bill. We are waiting for Felipe right now. Sookie is still under his protection. We know who is in the house and it looks like most of them are under a spell. Dermont is involved. We might have to align ourselves with witches, but if we can counter the spell, there won't be much of a fight. We really shouldn't need you but I understand your devotion." Eric smiled at him and then looked over and winked at me. Eric was having too much fun with this.

"I'll stay just the same if it is alright with you." Bill could be stubborn sometimes. Eric nodded to him and we all headed to the bar so my two vampires could get some True Blood.

We weren't at the bar very long when Pam walked in followed by the king, Felipe. Eric and Bill both bowed to him and I nodded my head his way-I'm human, I don't bow. Felipe walked up to me, smiled, and grabbed my hand to kiss it. It was a very strange move for a vampire and I was proud of myself for staying still and not pulling away. I smiled at him in return.

"Hello again dearest Sookie. It is always a pleasure to see you." Felipe had a way about him.

"Hello. I'm glad to see you too." I didn't know what else to say. Eric could feel this and picked up the conversation for me.

"Your majesty. I'm sorry to inconvenience you by asking you to come. We might not be in as much trouble as originally thought, it seems spells are being used. If we can break the spells we should only have two enemies that are threatening Sookie." Felipe looked confused so Eric told him what we knew, of course he made it seem like his brain power figured it out instead of our secret source.

"Well, since we are here we will stay to make sure that is the case. If you are wrong, or we get no help from the witches, you could need our help. My dear Sookie, it seems like trouble follows you. It might be a good thing you are bound to Eric here and not myself." I blushed. What was I suppose to say to that? I was glad for completely different reasons.

I made myself blend into the background while the vampires spoke to each other about the region and other political things. A few minutes later Diantha came into the bar with Octavia following her. I ran over to Octavia and hugged her. I hated bringing everyone into my troubles but I was so thankful that Octavia showed up.

"Sookie, I'm glad to see you again. I wish it wasn't for this though. Tell me what is going on." I relayed the same thing we told Felipe. I was telling no one but Eric about Hunter. I also told her about the Tray situation and why Amelia left in the first place.

"Well, I'm surprised that Amelia would be subjected to this. She must have been too upset to shield herself properly. I'm going to need help on this though. I had called Bob, he is on his way, but it seems like I'll need more help than that." I was so honoured that Bob would help. I figured he would be too angry with Amelia to ever go near her again.

"There is a coven here in Shreveport. We can try to ask for their help. It might help with you there. If you don't mind." Octavia nodded and I turned to lead her to Eric. I introduced everyone and then asked Eric if he could get word to the witches that we would like to speak to them. I then turned to Diantha and thanked her for getting Octavia.


	10. Chapter 10

**_I do not own these characters, they belong to Charlaine Harris._**

**Thanks again for all of the reviews! Hope you enjoy!**

I sat in the background again between Octavia and Diantha. Felipe-making use of his charms- made the phone call to the Shreveport coven leader. I could barely remember what she looked like since the witch war so long ago. I remembered her long gray hair though. Felipe beaconed for Octavia to talk to her and she patted my arm as she went. Bill came over to sit next to me in her absence.

"So how are you doing Sookie?" I smiled a weak smile at him and shrugged. It was sweet of him to ask, but I couldn't honestly answer that at this moment.

"Do you think they will help?" I asked instead.

"I'm not sure. I think with Octavia here they probably will. It doesn't hurt them at all, they can do it from any distance." I nodded again and then thanked him. That's when Octavia came back and Bill got up to give her the seat back.

"They will help. They will meet us here in twenty minutes. They have to gather supplies and contact their Seer. The Seer will be able to check things out and give us more information on what we are up against. Bob should be here by then." I smiled at her and gave her a hug.

"Thank you for all the help Octavia. While we wait, how have things been going in New Orleans?" She filled me in on her boyfriend, the repairs on their house, and the despair still in the city. We talked away until Bob showed up.

Octavia and I got up to greet him and make introductions. Bob still looked the same. He was tall and skinny and looked like he had just gotten off work at a funeral parlour. I still remembered his time as our cat-it was a terrible mishap that Amelia had made. I would never bring it up, but part of me wanted to cuddle with him just the same. After I thought that, I heard Eric softly chuckle. He must have picked up what I was thinking from our blood-bond. I looked at him and winked. I turned back to Bob then.

"Thank you so much for coming Bob. I'm glad that you would be willing to help." He hung his head, slightly shook it, and looked up at me sheepishly.

"Well, a few memories came back to me from my time at your house. You were always kind to me, even after I threw up on your blanket. You were also very kind after I was turned back. When Octavia said that you were in trouble, I had to help." I smiled at him.

"Well I appreciate that." We chatted for a few more minutes and then Octavia took him to a booth and they began talking about what was to be done. I stood watching them for a moment when I felt Eric coming up behind me-I always felt it when he approached. He wrapped his arms around me and whispered in my ear.

"So you wanted to cuddle with the little kitty did you? Wouldn't you prefer a big Viking instead?" I couldn't help but bust out laughing. Leave it to Eric to make a comment like that in a time like this. One of the many reasons I loved him. People looked at us in confusion. I think they all thought I had lost my mind to the shock. They were probably right. I turned around and buried my head into Eric's chest. He was right, I would much prefer cuddling with my Viking. He kissed me on the head and whispered to me again.

"Lover, why don't you go lay down in one of the booths. Nothing can be done until the other witches get here and then there is really nothing you can do until we figure out the course of action to take." I appreciated his sentiment.

"Eric, you know that I couldn't rest right now. Thank you though. I love you." He squeezed me and kissed me again.

The witches showed up about ten minutes later. There were five of them in total. I thought I recognized a few of them from the witch war. Octavia and Bob greeted them first, made introductions, and then lead the silver haired leader over to me.

"Nice to see you again. Sookie isn't it? We are going to get set up. We will need you to point out the people once the Seer gets the picture. We have brought a large cauldron this time so that more people can look on. All you have to do is point them out and tell us who or what they are." I nodded and smiled a weak smile at her. My job would be easy, but I was nervous about seeing all my friends allied against me in my own home. It only took the witches a few minutes to get set up and then we all headed towards the table the cauldron was on. I was the only one, besides the witches, who was allowed to stand directly beside it. Eric stood behind me, he would have no problem in seeing over my head.

"Now Sookie, just point out and tell us who everyone is. Make sure not to touch the cauldron or the water. We don't want to loose the image. It will make a scan around every room of the house and then move to the outside. Let us know if someone is missing that you thought was there too." I nodded to show I understood. The picture started appearing before our eyes. It started in my kitchen. Amelia was sitting in one of the kitchen chairs. Remy sat opposite her and Mr. Cataliades was on the end, tied up. I said all this out loud. I looked at Octavia when I mentioned Amelia and I saw her shake her head sadly and frown. I glanced at Bob as well, and there seemed to be a spark in his eyes. It didn't look as hateful as I thought I would see. The picture continued then to the living room and I concentrated on the image. The living room held Alcide and six other men.

"That's Alcide, but I don't know the others. They might be part of his pack. I recognize one of them. He was at the witch war, but I couldn't be sure about the rest. He is that one." I pointed to a man I had seen a few times when I had dealings with the Shreveport Weres. Everyone nodded at me and the image continued down the empty hall and to my bedroom. Jason was in my bedroom sitting in the chair beside my bed. Dermont was relaxing on my bed with Sandra Pelt cuddling next to him. I guess it was obvious that they were working together now. I wonder how long they had been together. Jason looked a bit conflicted, but mostly angry. I again pointed them out and told them a quick brief on Dermont and Sandra. I was very unsettled by seeing them though and Eric wrapped his arms around me to comfort me as the image continued back through the hall, to the empty spare room, and up the stairs. Sam was sitting at the top of the stairs. I couldn't imagine what he was doing there, but part of me hoped that he was watching out for Hunter. I wondered if his heart would still be good enough to do that if he really was under a spell. I pushed that out of my mind though as I told everyone who and what he was and the image continued to Amelia's old bedroom. Hunter was there. He was playing with some G.I. Joes that Jason had when he was little. My heart beat a little faster when I saw him. Eric gave me another squeeze. I explained to everyone who he was, of course I left out that he was gifted. When the image continued my heart gave a little pang. I wanted to keep watching Hunter to make sure he was completely safe. I told them that we didn't think anyone else was there, and the rest of the scan confirmed it. Having the Seer was perfect because now I didn't have to explain how we knew the exact number of Werewolves in the house. The image went dark then and everyone started talking in soft murmurs.

Felipe took charge and cleared his throat. The room went silent and all eyes turned to him.

"Witches, do you think you can undo any spells put in place in and around the house?" The Shreveport coven leader and Octavia both looked at each other and nodded. Octavia was the one to speak.

"We can conjure a spell that will undo any done to the people inside the house and it will inactivate the wards on the house. A few of us, can also put a spell into the Weres' minds to take away their sense of smell. That way, no one will hear or smell you approaching. Once Dermont's spells are inactive, they shouldn't want to fight you. That is unless there is another reason they are there." Everyone nodded at this. It made me worry though. What if there wasn't a spell on some of them? What if some of the people I loved wanted to kill me with their own free will. That thought made me start to shake and my heart began beating faster. Eric sent me calming waves and rocked me gently in his arms. It only helped a little, I was still worried and nothing he could do would change that. Felipe began speaking again.

"Can one of you come with us and communicate with the others?" The witches nodded and Bob stepped forward and said that he would come. Felipe continued.

"Good, we will surround the house. Eric, I know you called for a mandatory meeting of your area's vampires. I do not think that will be necessary now. I would however like for you to chose 10 vampires to come with us. They will join ten of mine. We will surround the house and wait for the word that the witches have done their part. The rest of your vampires Eric, I think should surround Fangtasia. We want no one interrupting the witches as they work. As for the rest of mine, I want them spread out in the woods around Ms. Stackhouse's place. We want no one to escape. We will not kill unless we are threatened, but no one is to leave until we are sure. Does everyone understand the plan?" Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Felipe then walked over to me.

"Sookie my dear. We will need you to go into the house to let us in. I'm sure Eric will come with you so you should be safe. Bob will be near you until he gives us the clear, but I think he should stay near you after that, just in case. Bob do you agree?" Bob nodded his head and came to stand near Eric and I. Bill walked up to my other side then and spoke.

"I would like permission to enter with Eric and Sookie. My invitation into the house is still valid and I would like to be there for added protection." I smiled warmly at him. I didn't want him to be near any fighting, but I couldn't help but be touched by his offer. Eric nodded before I could shake my head in disagreement. Felipe nodded his head and then looked thoughtful.

"Is there anyone else who can go freely into your house dear Ms. Stackhouse?" I thought about that for a second. Before I could answer Pam came from behind and spoke.

"I can. I would be honoured to fight by my master's side." I twisted my head around Eric's body to look at her. I gave her a warm smile too. I then answered Felipe's question.

"Eric, Pam, and Bill are the only ones." Felipe nodded and turned to speak with some of the vampires that came with him. I loosened myself from Eric's arms and turned to Bill and Pam.

"Thank you. You really don't have to do this though. I don't want any of you hurt. You either Bob." I glanced at Bob then. Bob just smiled and shrugged showing me that he didn't care what I thought. He had a spark in his eyes and I glanced inside his head. He was excited! I shook my head and looked at Pam.

"I go where Eric goes. I don't want to miss the fun. You always bring fun around Sookie. Plus, how could I be a bridesmaid if the bride is dead?" She winked at me then. Oh that Pam!

"I told you I would die for you Sookie. I'm going." I looked Bill in the eyes. I could tell he was serious. My heart twisted in different directions. I was still touched, but I didn't want anything to happen to him. I still loved him, but I loved Eric more. All of this went through my head and then I let out a defeated sigh. Eric bent down to whisper in my ear.

"I'll protect you my lover. Once the spells are dissolved, there will be no fight. Don't worry my Sookie." I shook my head.

"Everyone always says not to worry right before something bad happens to me. I am going to worry Eric! Those are my friends in there! And my family! I'm scared not just for myself, but for them as well. Stop telling me not to worry!" Eric looked at me with an amused smile. I could feel from the bond that my little speech just excited him. He was preparing for battle and he always got a kick out of that. I let out a huff and shook my head. I couldn't stop any of them. Eric looked at our group and began making plans.

"Well then. After Bob gives us the clear, I will grab Sookie. Bob would you mind being carried by Pam?" Bob looked at Pam and she winked. He smiled and said no.

"Good. I will carry Sookie in, Pam will carry Bob behind us. We will enter through the front door. The back porch will make too much noise. Bill, you can chose to be lead or tail." Bill never taking his eyes off of me answered.

"I will take lead, that way no one can jump at you or Sookie." Eric nodded in appreciation. I wasn't minding their new acceptance of each other, but again I still hated seeing my loved ones involved. Eric continued.

"Once inside, Sookie yell your invitation. I will then move you upstairs. I know you are worried about your cousin's child and it looks like a good stronghold. Pam, I would like you and Bob to follow us upstairs, and Bill keep a watch on the stairs. Keep your eyes open for Dermont and Sandra too. After the others enter then Bill I would like you to join us upstairs. Do you all understand the plan?" We all nodded.

"Perfect, I will go relay this to Felipe. I will then go speak with the area vampires who are waiting for orders in the warehouse." He let me go, looked at Bill and nodded,-they must have been speaking in their hidden language-and then he left.

Bill came up to me and gave me a hug. That must have been what Eric nodded for. Otherwise Eric would very likely have shot back over to my side. I accepted the hug and sank into him. I closed my eyes and spoke in a weak voice.

"Bill, you could get hurt. Are you sure you won't change your mind?" Bill gave me a soft squeeze.

"Never Sookie. I've told you that and I meant it." I sighed again. You can never argue with a vampire. I heard Pam laughing then and I looked up at her.

"Don't tell me you are scared Sookie? After everything you have been through, this will be a piece of cake. You humans always amaze me with your worries over nothing." Bill gave her a cold glare. I just smiled at her. I knew Pam was teasing. Pam is, well, just Pam.


	11. Chapter 11

**_These characters do not belong to me, they belong to Charlaine Harris._**

**Thank you all for the reviews and alerts! We only have a few chapters left of the story! I hope you enjoy and I will try to update soon! Thanks again!**

Eric returned a few minutes later. Felipe then wrapped his knuckles on a table to get attention.

"Everything is in order. We shall set out. Witches, please begin as soon as we leave the building. You will not be disturbed. Afterwards, hang out here and you will be rewarded for your efforts when I return." Octavia ran towards me as soon as he finished. She gave me a hug and wished me luck. I said the same to her and followed Eric out of Fangtasia. Bill, Bob, Pam, Eric, and I walked over to Pam's car. It was a small conservative car, but we all managed to fit. I was squished in the middle between Eric and Bill. Two big men, one of which is a huge Viking, doesn't leave much room. Thankfully I was use to being close to each of them, though I must admit the thought of being close to both made my heart speed up a bit with nerves. We headed to Bon Temps with a stream of cars behind us. Bob did a quick test to make sure his communication with the other witches was working properly and he told us all that things were working perfectly.

The ride passed quickly and soon we were pulling up to Bill's house. I didn't remember that this was agreed upon, but it made sense. And since everyone was following us, we were all gathered in Bill's yard within moments. Felipe came to stand by my little group with another vampire that I didn't recognize. Since we were waiting on Bob to give us the go ahead I decided to break the silence.

"How is Victor?" Felipe looked at me with amusement.

"He is healing very well. He was saddened by the lose of Sandy, as was I. She was a very good area representative. He decided to stay in his area tonight though. I do believe he is a bit frightened by you." He laughed at this. I blushed.

"That is silly. I am glad he is better though." I couldn't blame him for staying away, but I didn't like another vampire being wary of me. Because of Pam's teasing, the Fangtasia bar tender Felicia was already scared of me. Vampires being scared of a human was stupid, and I didn't like it being directed at me. Felipe just nodded and chuckled. Before we could waste any more time, Bob started speaking.

"The spell to hinder the Weres' noses is in effect. The wards are off of the house as well. They are having a bit of a problem with breaking the spell that has a hold on the others though. They don't think it will work on everyone. Octavia says that some have too much hate in them to snap them out of it. It seems like the ones who love Sookie the most are the ones that are coming out of the spell. There are only a few left that aren't awakening from it, but our witches don't have enough strength to concentrate any more energy on those few. I'm sorry Sookie." Tears started swelling in my eyes. That wasn't good to hear. I wondered who were the ones that didn't love me enough and had too much hate. I hoped and sent out a silent prayer that they would break out of it soon. I loved everyone in that house except for the Weres I didn't know. This is selfish of me, but I did hope that they were the only ones not taken out of the spell. Felipe spoke up then.

"Let us go." Everyone began to head for my house then and, thanks to Eric, so did I. I think I was partially paralysed with fear. While we were moving I quickly snapped to my senses and sent out a call to Hunter.

_Hunter, I am coming with friends. Don't do anything differently, and don't be scared. I will be there with you in just a minute. Are you still okay?_ I hoped he could hear me.

_I'm okay Aunt Sookie. People here aren't acting as strange anymore. It was weird, it just happened. _Wow, he was good.

_Yes, I know. I got help. I have to go now. I will see you in just a few seconds. Remember, don't be scared and stay where you are. I'm coming straight to you. _I shut off our communication then so I could concentrate on moving my legs.

We had the house circled in no time. Everyone was in place and Bob made a motion to Felipe that the witches had done everything they could and gave the go ahead. Felipe nodded and motioned to Eric. I was whisked into his arms and before I could even blink we were inside my door.

"Everyone can come in!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I barely caught a glance at the shocked faces of some of the Weres and Sam before I was being let back onto my feet next to Bob upstairs. Pam had already started searching the upstairs rooms and I saw Hunter looking at me and smiling. I ran to him and bent down to hug him.

"Are you okay? I told you I'd come for you." I was so happy to see him that my heart swelled.

"I knew you would come Aunt Sookie. I'm fine. Daddy isn't' okay though. Memories of my mommy are making him mad at you and he is still all jumbled." My mouth dropped open. This was one of the things I was afraid of.

"I'm sorry Hunter. We can only hope right now that he will snap out of it." Hunter nodded and sank into my arms.

I picked him up and moved behind Eric. Eric was standing watch at the door. I saw him quickly glance at Hunter snuggled in my arms and he smiled before he turned back to his watch duty. I know it was silly-Hunter was so grown up in so many ways- but I bounced the boy like a baby and cooed to him that everything would be alright. I prayed that I was telling the truth. Downstairs all you could hear was yelling. Some of the yelling sounded like pleading, while others sounded like war cries. It didn't last very long. After maybe 3 minutes, everything was quiet. That scared me more than anything. I was nervous to see the outcome. Pam came behind me and patted my shoulder.

"It's all over, I think we can go down now." I nodded and followed Eric down the stairs. Eric hadn't said anything and I could feel that something was bothering him. He was still on guard too. We went down the stairs very slowly and cautiously. My mind was completely blank and then Hunter started crying.

"What's wrong sweetie?" I shouldn't have asked though because I saw in his mind what it was the moment it came out of my mouth. I looked over into the kitchen and saw it myself. Remy was dead on my kitchen floor! Tears started pouring from my eyes.

"Baby, I'm so sorry! I didn't want this to happen! It wasn't suppose to be like this!" I couldn't think of anything else to say so I just cooed nonsense into his ears, pulled his head into my neck, and shielded his head with my hand while I looked around at the rest of the damages.

I looked into the living room. Three Weres were lying on the ground dead. Alcide was sitting on the couch with his head down. I hoped he wouldn't be mad at me for this. The rest of his Weres' along with Sam and Amelia were in the living room too. They all looked confused and disoriented. I looked into the kitchen again, skipping past Remy so that I wouldn't have that image in my head for Hunter's sake. I scanned the room and saw Mr. Cataliades hugging Diantha. He was not hurt at all I noticed with relief. I then turned my head to the hallway. No one. I didn't see my brother anywhere. I heard moaning coming from my bedroom then. I rushed in that direction and Bill blocked my path in the hallway.

"No Sookie. Stay out here." I looked at him and my look said it all. If he didn't get out of my way, I was going to hold it against him forever! He hung his head and stood aside. I got to the bedroom door and looked inside.

My brother was lying on my floor bleeding profusely. I ran to his side and bent down, never letting go of Hunter. I placed one of my hands on his forehead.

"Jason, what did you do?" He let out another moan and then opened his eyes. When he saw me his expression changed to pure hatred!

"Don't touch me! I hate you! You've killed me! I'm your brother damn it! You were never good though. You were always crazy and everyone always loved you more. But not Dermont! No, he told me that what Niall said about our parents was a lie and that you told him to say it so that I wouldn't talk to him. You tried to take the one person away who loved me more! You are a crazy bitch!" My mouth was hanging open. Before I could deny any of it or even make a sound I was picked up and rushed out of the room. I could hear him though.

"Don't take that bitch away from me! I'll kill her if it is the last thing I do!" I could tell that he was struggling to get up and fight me. I heard someone else then. I think it sounded like Felipe.

"No. Saying that will be the last thing you ever do." I could feel Jason's awareness slip away then and I knew that my brother was dead. I looked around me. Bill was to one side and Eric was holding me back. I couldn't stand on my legs any longer. Still clutching the crying Hunter to me, I started falling to the floor. Eric stopped me right before I crashed on the ground. He picked me and Hunter up and carried us to my front porch swing. He placed me in it and sat down beside me. Bill came to sit on my other side.

I was in complete shock. I couldn't think of anything but what my brother had said. I looked out at my yard completely numb. Vampires were everywhere talking. Some of them looked disappointed while others looked like they had a good time. My two vampires and I sat rocking silently while Hunter still cried in my arms. Listening to the boy snapped me out of my own pain. I ran my fingers through his short hair and whispered to him.

"Hunter, I love you. I'm so sorry, but you will be okay. I wish that things had turned out differently but I want you to know that I will take care of you. I will keep you safe no matter what. That is if you can ever forgive me." I prayed that he could. He was the last bit of my family left. We were the only two and I couldn't stand loosing him. His crying slowed down. He sniffled and looked into my eyes.

"I know Aunt Sookie. He hit first. He shouldn't have done that. I love you Aunt Sookie." I started crying. I kissed him on the cheek and rocked him again.

"I love you too." I whispered.

We sat silently for a few more moments and then Pam came out of the house. She was a bit flushed and I didn't want to think about why.

"Dermont and Sandra were killed. Dermont put up a good fight, but one of Felipe's men and I took him down. Sandra was easier, Felipe took care of her himself. I explained what happened to everyone left in the house. They didn't even know why they were there. They couldn't remember a thing. Sookie, Sam is asking to see you, as is Amelia. Looks like that Bob is quite taken with her though. He keeps hugging her and so I think he will keep her mind off of you." I nodded. I didn't know what else to do. I was a bit surprised that Bob was hugging Amelia, but I would come back to that later. I couldn't handle anything right now. Bill stood up then.

"Tell them she will speak with them tomorrow. I think Eric and I should take Sookie and the boy to my house for the night. I have a place for you to sleep tomorrow Eric and Sookie, you are familiar in the house. You are both welcome there." I barely understood what he said but Eric spoke up for me.

"Thank you Bill. I think he is right my lover. I will send someone to get anything you and the boy need. Tomorrow night you can talk to people. Tonight I think we should spend at Bill's and during the day I would like for you and the boy to stay at Bill's while we sleep, just to make sure everything is okay." I nodded and Eric turned to speak to Pam. I figured he was telling her to find someone to run our errands and to let Felipe know we were leaving.

When he came back, I stood up from the swing and followed Bill and Eric to Bill's house. The walk was refreshing and it helped me gain my strength back. There were a few times however where I wobbled and either my love, or my ex love, was there to help me keep my balance.

Once we were at Bill's house, I immediately went to his bedroom-the one we use to share when we were dating. I didn't care if he minded or not. I had one goal in mind. Hunter had fallen asleep on our walk and I laid him in the big bed. I covered him up and then went back down stairs to my waiting vampires.

"Thank you. Both of you." I said and I meant it. My emotions were on overdrive, but I was very grateful that they were there for me.

"You're welcome. Feel free to take a bath or shower. Do you know what you will need tomorrow?" I looked Bill in the eyes. His were full of concern. I shook my head sadly. I had no idea what I would need. I had only babysat before, but I hardly knew Hunter. I didn't know what he liked or disliked.

"I'm not sure. Some toys I guess, and some clothes? I just don't know." Eric came to my side then and kissed the top of my head. Bill was still holding my eye contact and he spoke.

"I will go look at your house quickly. I'm sure his father brought some things. Do you mind me raiding your refrigerator while I'm there for the both of you? I will only be a minute. Make yourself at home." I smiled at him in thanks. Bill was an amazing man. I wished I could love him like he loved me. He smiled a rare smile at me and then took off towards my house.

I stared after him until I felt Eric's arms wrap around my body. I turned towards him and looked up into his eyes. I loved him so much. He smiled at me and I burst into tears! I could let my guard down with him. I felt safe and loved. He pulled me up and cradled me into his arms. He walked us to the bathroom and started the tub. Once it was filled, he undressed me. He surprised me then, by placing me into the tub without getting in himself. He washed me gently and when he was finished he lifted me out and towel dried me. He kissed my cheek and then left, leaving me there. Before I could get cold or upset however, he was back with a shirt of Bill's.

"Now I hate putting you in his clothes, but I think he has redeemed himself enough. I think he knows that you are mine now." I smiled at him as he slipped the shirt over my head.

"Eric, I am yours, but we need to talk again. I'm going to adopt Hunter. I'm not sure how to do it, but since I am his kin it shouldn't be too hard. You'll have to give me a story on what happened to Remy. I'd like to do it as soon as possible. What about us?" Eric smiled at me and pulled me into a hug.

"Shhh my lover. Felipe will make the excuses on the deaths. That is why he is so good at being king. After that, don't worry you will have no problems adopting Hunter. We will talk more about it if you want to, but not tonight. You should go to sleep. The sun will be up soon and I will be here and with you as soon as the sun goes down. I love you Sookie, nothing will change that." My heart leaped at his words. I nodded while I yawned. He was right, I needed sleep. Eric chuckled at me and carried me up to Bill's room with Hunter. Before he laid me in the bed next to the sleeping boy, Eric gave him a long look and whispered to me.

"He really is a cute child. He has your eyes." I had no words for that but I let my love and thanks for what he said flow through our bond.

"Goodnight my Eric."

"Goodnight my Sookie, my lover." With that he placed me down and I was asleep by the time my head hit the pillow.


	12. Chapter 12

**_I do not own these characters, they belong to Charlaine Harris._**

**Thanks again for all the reviews. Sorry if I haven't replied to them all, know that I really appreciate them. I've been having a few difficulties closing this story out. One more chapter after this, and I hope they don't bore you. **

I woke up to tiny hands on my cheeks pushing and pulling to make funny faces. I opened my eyes and stuck out my tongue to help with the faces. Hunter giggled and wrapped his arms around my neck for a hug. That made my fitful sleep worth while. I hugged him back and then rolled him over and started ticking him. We laughed together for a good five minutes before laying back down to catch our breath. We had a lot to deal with today and it was good for us to have a break from thinking about it. I stretched and was surprise that I wasn't hurt at all from last night. I wasn't even sore! That had to be some kind of record! My emotions were harmed, but that always happened. I could deal with that as long as I had Hunter to think about. I sat up in the bed.

"So are you hungry little bug?" Hunter giggled at the nickname I gave him.

"Yes, do we have any cereal?"

"I don't know, only one way to find out!" I got off the bed and held my arms out. Hunter jumped into them and we headed downstairs to Bill's kitchen.

Bill and Eric had done good. Eric had provided clothes for me-I could tell by the style of the new clothes- and Bill had raided my kitchen and gotten Hunter's backpack. Everything we needed for the day was here. I fixed Hunter some cereal and made myself some coffee. I got ready while Hunter was still eating and Hunter ready after he was fed. I didn't really want to stop our good time, but I knew I had to talk to him.

"How are you handling everything? Are you doing okay?" I was so worried about how he was processing everything.

"I'm sad, but trying not to think about it. I'll miss him, but I know Daddy wouldn't want me to be sad all the time. He told me so whenever I would get sad about Mommy." I couldn't believe how grown up this kid was. I kept forgetting that he was only four years old.

"That's very smart Hunter. And if you ever do need to talk about it, you can talk to me or we can find someone for you." I hoped that if they had a Supe hospital that they would have a Supe psychiatrist too. That way he could talk freely about what happened.

"Thanks Aunt Sookie. Can we go play now?" I smiled at him.

"Of course, how about we go outside and play in the yard." He smiled excitedly and nodded.

We played most of the day away. Hunter's favourites were tag, Simon says, and red light-green light. I found out that all those games were even harder with only two people. I hadn't run around so much in years! We only went inside for bathroom breaks until lunch and nap time. I fed Hunter and put him down for a late nap. When I had him asleep I finally looked at the clock, it was close to 3pm! We had woken up late though and I knew it would be a late night. I guess if I planned on keeping him I was going to have to get a regular schedule. I decided to relax in front of the TV while Hunter napped. As soon as I settled onto the couch, the phone rang-doesn't that always happen?- so I got up to answer it.

"Hello."

"Hello. Ms. Stackhouse? This is Bobby Burnham." I had completely forgotten him. He continued without waiting for my response.

"Eric called me right before sunrise and asked for me to call you today. He wanted me to tell you that Felipe will be coming by tonight but left a few instructions. You must call the police and say that Remy asked you to babysit and never showed up today. If they ask why you waited so long to call, say that you thought he might have been having too good of a time but now you were worried. He also wanted me to ask you if you needed anything else for the day?" Wow! You could tell that he was reading notes, and I figured that he was probably seething inside because of this task. No wonder he waited so long to call, he was probably hoping that I would say no just because of the hour. He was right if that was the case.

"No Mr. Burnham, I think I will be fine for today. Thank you." I could imagine the relieved look on his snooty face. The picture almost made me laugh into the phone.

"Well then, my errand is done. I suppose this is goodbye Ms. Stackhouse. I am heading to New Orleans. Eric says that there is someone down there that needs my assistance more than he needs it. I leave tomorrow mourning." Again I almost laughed into the phone. I knew exactly where he was going and though he sounded like this was a wonderful opportunity, I didn't think that Victor would be half as tolerant of his attitude as Eric had been.

"Good luck and goodbye then, Mr. Burnham. Have a safe trip." Even though I didn't like the man, I was raised to use my manners. We hung up after that. I was glad to be rid of the man. I hoped to never see him or Victor again.

I waited a few minutes and called the Bon Temps police department. I gave the lines that I was told to give. Bud Dearborn, of course being always suspicious of me, had to ask a few questions.

"When did you find out you had more relatives Sookie?" I sighed internally, I didn't want to get into all of this.

"A few months ago I guess. We recently have been talking more and more though. Since my cousin passed away, Remy hasn't had much time to himself. So when he asked me to babysit I had to say yes. I wanted to get to know the kid better too. I'm worried, but I don't want Hunter to know how worried I am. So could you do the regular hospital and jail calls for me? Just let me know if you find him?" I could fib when I had to, even if I hated it.

"Sure Sookie, I'll let you know. By the way, have you seen your brother? That Calvin Norris was talking about Jason's new girl he got. Said that they took off for Texas two days ago. Do you know if he is coming back?" I didn't see this one coming! I had to think on my toes. Good thing I had become pretty good at that-I had to since I was brought into the Supe's world.

"We sort of had another fight Bud. I'm not sure that I would be his first choice in telling his plans to. I'm glad he found someone though. He was having a tough time after Crystal and the baby, well, you know." I was still trying to block out the image of their gruesome murder.

"That's true. Well if you hear anything from him, tell him he'll be missed till he comes home." I agreed knowing full well that I would never hear from him again. That made me sad but I pushed my feelings aside so I wouldn't effect Hunter's day with my mood.

Hunter was up at around 4pm and-after a snack of course- we began playing again. This time we were playing inside. I was surprised by some of the good hiding places in Bill's house. Time was flying by. Before I knew it, I heard two sets of laughter at the doorway to the living room. Hunter and I were in the middle of playing a game he made up. It consisted of acting like an animal and copying one another. It was my turn to copy Hunter and his choice was a monkey. So the laughter erupted while I was in the middle of hooting and scratching my head and underarm at the same time! I stopped mid-hoot, and turned a bright red as I faced my two laughing vamps. At that, Hunter broke out into rolling laughter.

"Now you are a red monkey, Aunt Sookie!" The two vampires laughed even harder while my face burned the deepest red I think it had ever been. A few breaths later and I controlled my embarrassment.

"If we are all done making fun of the monkey, I need to talk to you two. Little bug, we'll be in the kitchen if you need anything okay?" He nodded at me with a smile and then picked up some army men he had in his backpack and began playing. Bill, Eric, and I walked into the kitchen. I knew that now that it was night time that I had no choice but to deal with the things I put away for the day-if I had my way they would stay put away forever.

"I talked to Bobby this afternoon. I called the police and said what I was told. I know the story for Jason now too. Bud asked if I knew Jason had run off with a girl. I said we had a fight and so he wouldn't have told me. I guess I better hear the other stories too, just to get them all straight." I looked at Eric. Bill would hold details back from me. Eric knew me better and knew that I wanted to get it all out of the way. He had told me the bond worked both ways, so he seemed to act more human towards me lately- even in front of other vampires-which took me by surprise. Part of me still wondered if it was some sort of sick ploy to make me his, but in my heart I knew it was just Eric being Eric. He was never bothered by what anyone thought, except the king of course and that was just to save his hide.

"Felipe is staging a car accident on a back road somewhere from here to Shreveport. It will look like the Weres had been drinking and that Remy must have been lost. As for your brother, he will never be found. Saundra and Dermont had no one to account to. After Saundra's parents died she started planning her revenge on you and met Dermont. No one has been looking for her, so I doubt they will start now. That's all of it." He sent me calming vibes while he said this, and I appreciated it. I would normally be overcome with guilt and grief, but-to be honest-I only felt those feelings towards Remy. I know, I'm a bad person right? I didn't care much about that anymore though. I was tired of always feeling that way. I looked over at Bill and his eyes were a bit wide in surprise of the honesty of Eric. I don't think he understood either Eric or myself very well.

"When do you think they will find the bodies?" I needed to know this so I could prepare Hunter for the lie.

"I would say a day or two." I nodded to show him I understood. Things were happening too quickly. Part of me wanted the world to slow down for a few days, but the rest of me just wanted to get this all over with.

"So when is Felipe coming?" I definitely wanted to get that part over with.

"Right now my dear Sookie." Felipe's voice came from behind me. I turned my head in surprise! That was quick.

"Hello." I still didn't know how exactly I should address him. Eric and Bill stood up and bowed while I just nodded my head.

"I have come to let you know that everything is settled. I also wanted to say that I believe we are now even Miss Stackhouse. But, if you should ever need help again, you may call on my help. I am sure I will be able to think up an agreement between us in that case." He winked at me and grinned- showing a little fang. I could feel Eric becoming upset by this but not knowing what to do. I couldn't disagree with his feeling, I felt the same. I would do anything to avoid calling on Felipe.

"Thank you Sir. I will try to stay out of trouble from now on." With that, he waved goodbye to me and Eric and Bill walked out to the porch to talk to their king.

With those few moments alone, I got up and went to check on Hunter. He was playing war with his army men and looked content enough. I watched him until I saw Bill coming back inside. I followed him into the kitchen.

"Thank you again for everything Bill. We had a fun time here today." Bill grinned at me and then his face went sullen.

"Sookie, I can see it now. I still hold by my belief that you and Eric will not last, but I see that he does care for you. I will step back for awhile. I'm thinking of heading to Nevada in a few days to visit Felipe. He wants me to work on some more computer programs and I have no reason to stay right now. I won't stay long though and you can call on me anytime. Eric will know how to contact me. I will wait to leave until things are settled here so that no one is suspicious." I didn't know what to say. I didn't want Bill to go, but I knew I couldn't keep him around me either. I knew this was probably the best solution.

"I'll miss you." Those words said it all. I would miss Bill. I had just forgiven him and now he was leaving. We hugged each other and then Eric walked in the room. Bill looked him straight in the eye, nodded his head, and left the room.

"So do we get to have our talk now my lover?" I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Not yet. Let's deal with the others first. I have to call Alcide. I think I should see Octavia and Bob before they leave too. I don't know what Amelia is going to do, but I could call the three of them to come over to my house. Then there is Sam. I'll leave him last. After everything is settled, then we will talk." I winked at him. It wasn't often that you were able to make a vampire wait, and live through it. He smiled an amused smile at me.

"Don't forget Mr. Cataliades. I guess I can wait. Only for you my lover." Those words made my heart beat faster. I loved this vampire. I had to pull away though or I would stay in his arms all night.

"Well, I guess I better get this over with then."


	13. Chapter 13

**_I do not own these characters, they belong to Charlaine Harris._**

**Ok, this is the end. I plan on writing a sequel sometime in the future. As always, thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! You guys kept me going when I would normally have given up. Thank you! I hope you enjoyed it! **

The call to Alcide was pretty simple. A few apologies on both sides. I apologized for the whole situation, and he apologized for falling under the spell. We said our goodbyes and promised that we would see each other soon on better terms. I then called Octavia, Bob, and Amelia and invited them over to my house. I didn't really want to go back to that house. Too much had happened. I knew I had too though. Eric helped me carry Hunter's things as the three of us headed to my home. Eric had told me that there would be no traces of the fight left, and that it was safe. Hunter seemed okay with going to the house. He had told me that it could have happened anywhere so it didn't matter that it was my house. I couldn't get over his thinking. I was never this calm at his age. He had wisdom not just beyond his years, he was a special child.

Octavia, Bob, and Amelia showed up at the house not long after we arrived. Eric stayed by my side the whole time. He looked a bit bored, but I appreciated him being there. What surprised me was that Bob and Amelia had walked in holding hands! Pam had mentioned that they were acting sweet to each other after the fight, but it was strange to see it. I greeted them all and introduced Hunter to them. Octavia and Hunter immediately hit it off and began playing with each other while Amelia and I hugged and made up.

"I'm so sorry Sookie! I was grieving and couldn't control my spell shields very well. I won't let that happen again! I can't believe someone was able to turn me against you!" She was broadcasting her sincerity.

"I'm sorry that you were brought into this Amelia. Looks like you and Bob made up though." Amelia gave me a huge smile. Her eyes twinkled too.

"Isn't it wonderful! He said that he missed me. He said that he remembers now and knows that I tried to fix him, even if I could have tried harder. He said that he would forgive me if I promised no more experiments." I laughed. I would have to agree with Bob there! Though Amelia was a great witch, she did let her experiments get away with her sometimes.

"That's great. Have you decided where you will live?" I already knew it from her head, but thought it polite to ask.

"He asked me to stay with him in New Orleans until my house is done! Isn't that sweet? We'll be leaving with Octavia tomorrow." I was happy for her. I would miss her of course, but she deserved happiness.

After a little more visiting, it was time for them to go. We said our goodbyes and I watched on the porch as they left. Eric was behind me and he wrapped his arms around me.

"Mr. Cataliades will not be here until tomorrow night. He called while you were visiting. Maybe you should put the talk with Sam off until tomorrow too. That way we can get Hunter settled and maybe play a little ourselves." I giggled while he bent down and nipped my neck.

"Are you going to stay here for the night?" I couldn't think about him being away from me for long, even during the day.

"No my lover. Hunter will be in the guest room and I won't want to accidentally wake him."

"I won't mind." Hunter surprised me by coming from behind us. He walked up to me and I bent to pick him up.

"Well, in that case, maybe I will stay." Eric winked at him and then kissed my forehead. I was glad that Hunter had said that. I really didn't want Eric to leave. We all headed inside after that and I put Hunter to bed. It was late and he needed his sleep. I on the other hand needed my Eric!

* * * *

I woke up the next mourning feeling pretty good. Eric and I had spent the rest of the night ravishing each other. I had needed that! I stretched and got up. I could hear Hunter watching cartoons in the living room. I ran to my bathroom and cleaned myself up before going to tend to him.

"How long have you been awake little bug?"

"Not long Aunt Sookie. Half of this show." I looked at the TV. Sponge-Bob was laughing away. So Hunter was up for only about fifteen minutes or so.

"You can come and wake me up when you get up Hunter. We'll have to get use to this together, but I really would like you to wake up okay?" I smiled at him.

"Okay Aunt Sookie." His eyes had already started drifting back to the TV. I giggled to myself and went to fix us some breakfast.

After breakfast and Hunter's bath, I sent Hunter upstairs to see if he could find anymore toys. I had to call the police again. I relayed that Remy still hadn't shown up.

"Bud, I'm really worried! Please let me know as soon as you know anything. Hunter is beginning to worry too. He is beginning to notice that his dad hasn't come home."

"It's okay Sookie. We'll put out a search for him now. I'll let you know anything. Is Hunter okay staying with you?"

"Of course he is, he's my family! If I'm going to keep him though I'll need to go to the store for some things. You know my cell phone number right? Just call me if you hear anything."

"Alright Sookie. I know your number. Just stay calm, we'll find him." We hung up and I felt good about my lie. I think I made it sound pretty convincing. I figured we would stop and eat lunch at Merlottes on our way back from shopping. That way I could see Sam and get that out of the way. Hunter came downstairs then.

"You want to go shopping Hunter?" He nodded enthusiastically. We went to Wal-Mart. I was glad that I knew money was coming too me because I ended up spending a bundle. I got Hunter some clothes, shoes, and a ton of toys. When we had walked down the toy aisle his face lit up like we were in kid's heaven or something. I let him pick out some sheets, blankets, and decorations for his room too. We would figure out a new spot for Eric to sleep when he slept over, until we got married-if we still planned to that is, we still had to talk about that.

On the way back home we stopped at Merlottes. Tanya was working, which I was surprised to see. She had said that she had a day job. She walked up to me and gave me a hug, yet another surprise. She whispered into my ear.

"I'm sorry about your brother." She then pulled away and gave me a formal greeting for the rest of the patrons.

"Hey Sookie! And who is this little guy?" Hunter was hiding behind my legs playing shy.

"This is my cousin's son Hunter. He is staying with me for a little while." Hunter and I had discussed this on the way here.

"Oh well isn't he a looker! Follow me and I'll get ya a seat." We followed her to a booth. Usually you would just pick a seat but I would be glad to sit in Tanya's section today. Since we found Crystal's body, Tanya and I were on better terms.

"Are you working here full time now Tanya?"

"Yes. Sam really needed the help and my other job started to bore me. So this works for us all." I nodded at her and smiled. Then Hunter and I ordered the chicken baskets. Hunter was eating away and beginning to open up towards Tanya. That worked out perfectly because I still needed to talk to Sam. I already decided what I would do when Tanya walked up to check on us.

"Tanya, would you mind keeping an eye on Hunter? I need to talk to Sam. He is in his office isn't he?"

"Yes, he's back there. It will be good for you to see him. He has been a bit depressed the last few days and it will do him some good to see you. Of course I'll watch handsome for you." She smiled at me and winked at Hunter. I was glad that someone was here that wouldn't mind watching him for a few minutes while I got this over with. I didn't like hearing that Sam had been depressed. I told Hunter I would be back and walked back to Sam's office.

I knocked on Sam's door and heard him say to come in. He didn't look so good. His hair was a tangled mess and he had dark circles under his eyes. He was scruffy looking too. He didn't look like his normal self and that hurt me to no end. Sam had not only been my boss for so many years, but had become one of my closest friends. He looked at me and then put his head in his hands. I couldn't stand this!

"Sam, I'm sorry you were dragged into my problems. Again. Are you alright?" Sam didn't look up at me for a few seconds. When he did, he had tears in his eyes.

"No Sook. I'm not alright! I was ready to kill you!" The pain in his voice caused me to tear up.

"Sam, it wasn't your fault! You are one of my best friends and I know you would never hurt me in your right mind. It was a spell. You've always protected me. I'm just sorry that you had to go through that." I went to him and gave him a hug. He was another man that I wish I could love like he loved me. We spent a few more minutes talking about nothing important. When I went to go, Sam grabbed my hand to stop me.

"Sook, are you really going to marry Eric?"

"Sam, I love him. Even if I don't marry him, which I am hoping to, I'll only be with him." He nodded and faked a smile. I could read from his thoughts that he was disappointed that it wasn't him, but he knew better than to stand in my way. He knew better than to say anything more about it too.

"So is there any chance I could convince you to work with me again?" That was sweet and unexpected.

"No. I have that money coming to me. I think I'll not work for a little while. At least until Hunter starts school. We need time together instead of me out working." He gave me a genuine smile this time.

"I'm glad he has you Sookie. And if you need anything, just ask. I'll still be here." We hugged again and I left his office. Hunter had finished eating so we thanked Tanya and went home.

The rest of the day we spent decorating Hunter's room. He had picked Spiderman and it seemed that they made everything with that on it. By the time we were finished, it looked like it had been a kids room for years. Luckily, the wall color didn't clash with all of the decorations and bedspread. Once that was finished, we went to have dinner. It was almost dark so I wanted to have Hunter out of his room while Eric woke up. Eric sauntered into the room a few minutes later with a grin on his face.

"I see that you like Spiderman Hunter. Are you settling in okay?" Hunter smiled and giggled at him.

"Yes Uncle Eric, I'm settling fine." Both Eric and my eyes opened wide in surprise. I wanted to laugh at that little comment but I wasn't sure how Eric would take it. Eric's eyes met mine and the surprise wiped off his face as he winked at me in amusement. I guess he didn't mind being called "Uncle" and that confirmed to me how much I wanted to keep Eric with me forever.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Mr. Cataliades had come. I sent Hunter to his room to play so we could discuss everything freely.

"Miss Stackhouse, you are about to be a very wealthy woman. I have all the paperwork ready for you, we just need to discuss a few things before it is all taken care of. First on the list, is the house in Monroe. Will you be keeping that?" I thought about it for a second and shook my head. I didn't need it.

"No Sir. I would prefer to sell it." He jotted a few notes down and continued.

"There are many businesses that go into your possession. What shall I do with those? If I may make a suggestion, I would say to keep a few. You can hire managers but it would be more profitable for you to stay owner." I looked at Eric.

"Would you ever rip me off?" I could feel the agitation at my statement from our blood bond.

"You know I wouldn't. You shouldn't even think that!" His eyes had narrowed as they bore into me.

"I know, I'm sorry Eric. If that is the case then, would you be my business manager? Take care of everything for me? I don't want any part of these businesses if I have to do anything with them. You of course will get a percentage, but I would trust you more than anyone else." That lightened the mood between us. He nodded his head at me and grinned.

"In that case, why don't you put Hunter to bed while I speak to Mr. Cataliades about these matters." I looked at the clock. I didn't realize how late it was getting. It felt to me that Mr. Cataliades had just arrived, but our welcomes and small talk had taken up an hour and a half. I really did need to get Hunter to bed. I nodded and walked back to Hunter's new room. He was nodding as I walked in and it was a breeze getting him into bed. I told him a story and said goodnight.

When I walked back into the living room, it seemed like Eric and Mr. Cataliades were just finishing up. I sat beside my Viking and blocked out the rest of their conversation. I was completely comfortable and at ease. Finally Eric turned to me.

"Are you listening Sookie?" I snapped back to attention.

"No. I was in my own little world, I'm sorry. What do you need?" That of course caused both him and Mr. Cataliades to chuckle while I blushed red.

"We just need you to sign now my lover. Mr. Cataliades wants you to call him when the police find Remy too. He has already gotten the paperwork ready for the adoption, we just have to wait so that no one gets suspicious. You can sign it tonight and he will do what is necessary when you call him." Relief flooded through me. Having Eric take care of all this made it easy. I didn't have anything extra to think about and I couldn't thank him enough for that. I signed all the papers, was told that money would be coming to me monthly and also put away if I needed it, and then Mr. Cataliades left. Eric and I were alone again.

"Eric, things are so perfect right now. What about in the future though? In 20, 30, or 50 years? I will be old and wrinkly, where you will still look incredible. If we are going to get married, how do you plan on handling that? I only want to get married once in my life. So, I need to know what your thoughts are on that." While I was talking we had made our way to my room and planted ourselves on my bed. He pulled away from me and looked me in the face before he answered me. His face was tangled mess of surprise and amusement.

"Sookie. You don't know do you? You have fairie blood inside you. Even though you don't have that much fairie blood, for some reason it seems dominant in your blood. I suppose though that you wouldn't know. You've never been around an older person with fairie heritage." Now I was the one with the mixed emotions on my face. I was amused by his ramblings- Eric didn't ramble very often- and very surprised by where this was going.

"What do you mean?" I wanted him to hurry up and get to the point.

"Lover, you won't age like a normal human. You're hair will change colors and you will get a few wrinkles, but even if you live to be 100, you will not look like a normal old lady. You will be beautiful until the day you die. Even if that wasn't the case, I could stay with you. At first, I did just say those things for you, but now Sookie, I really mean them. I love you and want you in my life. If I cannot turn you vampire, then at least give me all the time with you that I can have." Wow! First off, I was a bit smug about being told that because of the fairie blood I would never be one of those old decrepit ladies. Second, Eric had taken my breath away with his declaration. If I didn't love my Viking already, that would have done it! My heart swelled and tears burst out of my eyes.

"Thank you Eric. Nothing you have ever said has meant so much to me. I love you!" We wrapped ourselves into each others bodies. Tonight was going to be filled with a lot of passion, I could tell. This was perfect. If I had to pick a favourite moment of my life, this night would be it. The last coherent thought that I had before giving myself up to passion, was _Maybe Dead isn't better after all!_

**_~~~I plan on going over the first few chapters to correct the mistakes I made earlier on. So if it emails you about an update, it is just me splitting the paragraphs. Thanks again for reading!_**


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